Many of us saw the news this week about Olympic athletes being disqualified from the games due to the use of PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals have earned the nickname “forever chemicals” because many PFAS don’t break down easily — they persist for a very long time in water, soil, and living organisms.
PFAS has historically been used in ski and snow board wax to improve glide and in outdoor gear for water repellency, however, due to the environmental and health concerns, sports federations have implemented bans on these chemicals and now use rapid surface screening to check ski bases for fluorinated residues prior to competition. PFAS chemicals are characterized by carbon–fluorine bonds, among the strongest in organic chemistry. That bond strength is the very reason they persist in the environment. This is why Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is an excellent screening tool for fluorinated chemistry (C–F signatures) on surfaces and in materials, and that’s how this metrology technique made its way into the news cycle this week.
What is FTIR?
FTIR shines infrared light on a sample and measures how molecular bonds absorb that light. Different chemical bonds (C–H, C=O, Si–O, C–F, etc.) absorb at different frequencies, producing a spectrum that works like a fingerprint for materials identification.
Why customers love FTIR
- Fast Execution (results in minutes)
- Minimal sample prep (often none)
- Excellent for polymers, coatings, tapes/adhesives, oils, residues, powders
PFAS screening with FTIR
This week at the winter Olympics in Italy, FTIR units were set up to quickly screen skis and snowboards for the fluorinated chemistry signal that is consistent with PFAS. Unfortunately, this led to the disqualification of three athletes from the Olympic games. The athletes and their teams said they believed their skis were compliant (fluor-free), but positives can still happen due to cross-contamination in waxing areas (tools/benches/brushes), residue from prior fluor wax use, product mix-ups or mislabeled waxes, or trace carryover from shared service equipment. If these athletes had their skis tested in advance at Covalent, we could have given them definitive results in advance along with recommendations on steps to remove the offending chemicals.
Covalent can deliver rapid fluorinated-residue screening and flag samples likely impacted by fluorinated chemistry, so you don’t waste time guessing or even lose your Olympic moment.
Who Benefits from FTIR Analysis
- Manufacturers troubleshooting mystery residues
- Teams qualifying coatings / tapes / polymer components
- Environmental & product compliance groups triaging fluorinated chemistry risk
Reach out for a Quote
If you have a mystery residue, polymer, coating, or surface contamination problem, Covalent can help you:
- identify what it is quickly with FTIR and/or other techniques, and
- map a smart escalation path if fluorinated chemistry is suspected.
