The use of NIR technology for predicting IWTO-19 residual ash in a commercial laboratory

Abstract

At the IWTO Barcelona meeting 2001, and at Nice 2002, separate papers were presented concerning the use of NIR technology to predict IWTO-19 residual ash content.

This paper is a continuation of that work with the objective of investigating the robustness and stability of the system now that precision and accuracy have been established in the previous papers.

The full commercial population of woolbase results at SGS Wool Testing Services for a 5-month period was analysed, and performance was monitored as per the proposed appendix K for IWTO-19.

It was found that the NIR prediction system performed well against the reference method and a new technique was introduced to objectively calculate the “high ash” cutoff point above which measurements must be performed using the reference method in Appendix D.

It is concluded that, by combining the evidence in this report with the information presented in Wear (2001) and Wear (2002), the NIR prediction method for ash is accurate, precise, stable, and robust and is a suitable alternative to the reference method for a commercial laboratory able to demonstrate competence in its use.

Citation

"The use of NIR technology for predicting IWTO-19 residual ash in a commercial laboratory", J.L.Wear, Report 06, Raw Wool Group, IWTO Nice Meeting, November 2002