Abstract: The present application is directed to a system and method for analysis of a predefined component (e.g., moisture, acid, or carbonate base content) of matter using a reagent that reacts with the predefined component to produce carbon dioxide gas. FTIR analyses are performed on contents of sealed vessels that hold a number of standard mixtures which include the reagent and a component part similar to the predefined component at different concentrations of the component part in order to derive a calibration equation that relates concentration of the predefined component to absorbance in a predefined spectral band characteristic of carbon dioxide gas concentration. FTIR analysis is performed on the contents of a sealed vessel that holds a mixture derived from a sample and the reagent. Data that characterizes concentration of the predefined component in the sample is calculated based on the absorbance in the predefined spectral band and the calibration equation.

Abstract: A system and method for quantitatively characterizing moisture content of an at least partially hydrophobic fluid sample. The method includes providing a dry solution of an aprotic solvent, adding at least a part of the fluid sample to the solvent to produce an extract-sample, performing infrared spectroscopic testing on the extract-sample to generate absorbance data representing at least one absorbance characteristic of the extracted sample, and generating moisture data for the sample based on the extracted sample data.

Abstract: A system and method of characterizing an at least partially hydrophobic sample. The method includes providing an ethanolic solution of ethanol and sodium hydrogen cyanamide, adding a first portion of the ethanolic solution to a sample to produce a reagent-sample mixture, performing infrared spectroscopic testing of the reagent-sample mixture to generate mixture absorption data representing at least one absorption characteristic of the reagent-sample mixture, and generating acidity data for the sample based on the mixture data.