IR Thermal Imaging Materials

Thermal Imaging technology has created an ever growing market and application area for infrared optics. No longer confined to ‘Night Vision’ applications, the infrared optical products are spanning the global market in commercial applications including site security, maintenance, medical, industrial, police, fire-fighting and many other application areas. The introduction of smaller, lower-cost IR detectors has revolutionized the market potential for affordable IR cameras.

Vital Materials has a well-recognized selection of infrared optical materials that are found in the majority of IR optical lens assembly applications including Ge, ZnSe, ZnS & Si, as well as Chalcogenide IR glass mixtures. All infrared lens material can be provided as machined optical blanks in rectangular flat plate configurations for IR windows, or flat (hockey puck) cylindrical configurations for windows or optical lens elements. These materials can also be provided as pre-shaped (pre-generated) blanks that will substantially decrease the amount of machining time at the finished optic level. Vital Materials has the capability of polishing flat (window) surfaces and the ability to provide a DLC (diamond like carbon) coating on window surfaces to help resist the toughest environments.

Infrared thermal imaging technology uses infrared detectors and optical imaging lenses to receive infrared radiation energy distribution patterns of the target to be measured and reflects them on the photosensitive elements of infrared detectors.

With the maturity of infrared thermal imaging lenses and the reduction of manufacturing costs, the application of infrared thermal imagery in the commercial market is expanding. It is expected that the growth potential of commercial infrared thermal imagery will be rapid in the future.