APR 21, 2013

Uses, Applications and Hazards of Infrared

Radiation
LIVINGSTA

Livingsta is a writer who writes about anything that fascinates, provokes or interests her,
always putting forth her best effort and focus.

Infrared radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is part of the electromagnetic

spectrum and lies beyond the visible red region of the spectrum. In this hub, I have
discussed in detail the uses of infrared radiation, the applications of infrared radiation and
the hazards of infrared radiation. The uses and applications are wide and I have discussed
as many as I could.

If you wish to read more about infrared radiation, that is: What is infrared radiation, the
discovery of infrared radiation, how infrared radiation works, the different regions of the
infrared, the properties of infrared radiation and the detection of infrared radiation, please
follow the link below.

How does Infrared Radiation work? Discovery, Detection, Properties and Facts about
Infrared

Uses of Infrared radiation:

Infrared radiation is used for industrial purposes, medical applications, scientific

applications and experiments, etc. Some of the most prominent and important uses of
Infrared radiation are:

Night Vision versus Thermal

Imaging
 Used in night vision devices to observe animals or people using the phenomenon called
infrared illumination. The observant will not know that they are being observed.

Used in astronomy to observe objects that are blurred and hidden by the interstellar
dust. Infrared imaging process is used here.

Used in astronomical telescopes that are equipped with infrared sensors and these
telescopes are used to detect distant planets that are in the dusty regions of space, as
they cannot be viewed using a normal telescope. They are also used to detect objects
that have had a high red-shift (shifting of wavelength towards the red end of the
spectrum).

Note: Night vision is different from Thermal imaging.

Night vision is seeing objects at night using infrared devices, which is basically increasing
the visibility in the dark without using a visible light source. These infrared devices increase
the amount of available light in the night thereby increasing visibility.

Thermal imaging is a process by which thermal images are captured and the images are
totally dependant on the amount of heat (infrared radiation) emitted by a body

What is Infrared Radiation?

Used in infrared lamps (lamps that emit infrared radiation) and these lamps are used for
drying paint, wallpapers and printing inks, to keep food warm, in heaters that are used
during cold weather and in heat treatments in the field of medicine

Used in infrared lasers that produce infrared beams that can be used to read information
on compact discs.

Used in Infrared imaging devices that are used to obtain images of infrared radiation
that are reflected or produced by objects, for example, heat insulation in buildings,
sources of thermal pollution, mapping vegetation on the earth’s surface.

Used in the chemical industry to determine molecular structure and composition of

substances by studying their infrared emission or absorption.
 Used in the medical field to locate diseased tissues (these areas emit abnormal heat
compared to the other areas) and injury by analysing the body tissue and body fluid.

Used for military purposes where infrared imaging devices are used to locate enemy
troops in the dark, detect hidden mines, arm caches, to guide anti-aircraft missiles, etc.

Infrared radiation is used to de-ice the wings of aircraft

It is used in cooking and heating food

In industries they are used for welding plastics, drying prints, curing (process of
hardening) coatings etc.

Used in locating missing people and people trapped under collapsed buildings (Infrared
imaging devices are used)

Used by fire-fighters to find people inside smoke filled buildings (Infrared imaging
devices are used)

Used in archaeology to study ancient civilisations

Note: Infrared imaging devices have a lot of applications in various fields and a brief
working is presented here, in case anyone wondered what they are. The basic concept
behind these is:

Infrared imaging cameras have a lens and detector combination very similar to the other
cameras that we use, that have lens and sensors. The lens focuses the infrared waves /
energy onto an infrared sensor. This infrared sensor has an array of thousands of sensors.
These sensors convert infrared energy into electrical signals which are then converted into a
visible image.

Applications of Infrared radiation:

Infrared radiation has a wide range of applications. They find application in instruments
that use infrared radiation for various research, analysis, study, detections, etc. Some of the
most important applications are:

Infrared heating – Infrared Panels are used to emit infrared radiation to heat up the room.
When radiation from these panels fall on any object like wall or floor or any other objects,
the radiation is absorbed by the molecules in the objects and they start oscillating /
vibrating. These molecules continue to absorb energy and their frequency of oscillation
increases. When this frequency of oscillation is equal to the frequency of the infrared
radiation, the molecules (the object) start to reflect back the radiation towards other
objects and this process continues.
Infrared radiation is emitted till all the objects in the room are warmed up and start
reflecting the radiation. Thus Infrared radiation is emitted by all objects in the room and we
feel the warmth. The advantage of this method is that this type of heating prevents issues
due to damp and draughts. This type of heating is a modern method to old heating
mechanisms where people used fire in stone, tiled or clay stoves to heat up their houses.

Infrared lamps - These are used to keep food warm. These are lamps that emit infrared
radiation.

Infrared Thermography – This is a branch of science that deals with acquiring and
analysing thermal information from remote thermal imaging devices. This is used to
determine the temperature of the objects remotely and is used in military and industries.
This works on the principle that infrared radiation is emitted by all bodies and these
radiations are detected by thermography cameras.

Tracking using Infrared - This is used on missile guidance system where the target is
tracked using the infrared radiation it emits. For example, an infrared emitter (transmitter) is
placed on the object that needs to be tracked and signals/radiation from this emitter are
received by infrared receivers that are connected to a computer system with display unit,
that will display the location of the object.

Infrared in Health care – Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a technique that is
used for diagnosis in the medical field. This process makes use of thermal imaging cameras
that are called DITI cameras that record thermograms depending on the infrared radiation
emitted by the body. These are then studied by thermologists who interpret the images for
health care professionals. These find application in detecting breast cancer, detecting
inflammation in the body, detecting thyroid conditions, screening for viruses etc.

Infrared radiation is used in thermotherapy which finds wide application in the treatment of
high blood pressure, arthritis, heart failure, chronic fatigue, stress, toxicity, insomnia, pain
relief, high cholesterol, injuries, diabetes, muscular pain etc., with the help of infrared
saunas. It is also used in physiotherapy and in treatments of cancer.

Photobiomodulation – This is also called Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) where the
patient’s affected area is exposed to low-level laser light or light emitting diodes which
stimulate the function of the cell. This finds extensible use in healing oral ulcers that result
from Chemotherapy and is also used to heal sport injuries, joint pains, neck pains, back
pains, tissue repair, reduce inflammation etc.

Communications using Infrared – Infrared data transmission is used for short range
communications, for example between computer peripherals to transfer files, remote
controls. These devices make use of Infrared light emitting diodes that emit infrared
radiation. This radiation is received at the receiving end by a silicon photodiode that
converts infrared radiation into binary data that will be read by the receiving device.
Infrared lasers are also used in optical fibre communication.

Infrared Spectroscopy – Infrared radiation is used in spectroscopy to study organic

compounds and also to identify molecules by analysing their bonds.
The concept behind this is: Atoms in molecules are in their continuous state of vibration.
When these molecules absorb infrared radiation, they become hot and the vibration
increases. The wavelength of infrared radiation absorbed depends on the chemical bonds
between atoms in molecules.

For example absorption for C-Cl bond will be different from C-C or C-O or C=O or C-H bond.
All these combinations have Carbon (C) in them, but since they form a bond with a different
element in each case, the bond is different. By analysing the Infrared spectrum of these
substances, their composition can be determined.

In the spectrum to the right, each trough represents an absorption due to a different bond.

Infrared in Meteorology – In the field of meteorology, satellites (Geo stationary or polar

orbiting) that are fitted with scanning radiometers that have infrared sensors are used to
produce infrared images of clouds, land and sea on the basis of their temperatures. The
images produced are in grey scale (colder areas are white or lighter shades of grey and
warmer areas are black or darker shades of grey ). These are used to monitor the climate
and weather of earth. This helps with the study of land and water temperatures and
features of the ocean and clouds too.

(Scanning Radiometers are devices that collect visible and infrared images and radiometric
images of sea, land, the clouds or the atmosphere etc. )

Since infrared images do not need a source of light for the image to be recorded, the
scanning process continues without interruption during the night too, allowing
meteorologists to monitor and study the weather continuously. The only disadvantage is
that similar temperatures show up as similar colours.

For example, a cloud and fog with the same temperature as surrounding area will create
similar colours on the images.

The scanning of the ocean and its behaviour helps the shipping industry and other studies
related to land and water help farmers and fishermen. Infrared sensors in satellites help
detect and study pollution, fire, deforestation, volcanoes and their ash clouds, ice mapping,
sandstorms, auroras, snow, ocean and air currents, etc.

Infrared in Climatology – This is the study of climates and completely different from
meteorology (weather forecast for a brief period of time). The infrared radiation of the
atmosphere is monitored using a pyrgeometer (an instrument that is designed to measure
infrared radiation for atmospheric and material testing applications) and this helps with
long term data related to earth’s climate. These data help with long term planning of so
many things from building designs to farming.
Region called IRAS 20376 about 5,500 light years from Earth, in the visual wavelengths (left
hand side image) and in the infrared (image on right hand side)

outreach.jach.hawaii.edu

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Infrared Astronomy – This field deals with the study of infrared radiation emitted by
objects in the Universe. In the field of astronomy, infrared telescopes are used to detect
protostars and study the cores of galaxies that usually have high dust content. Since
infrared telescopes are sensitive to heat, the sensors in the telescope need to be cooled and
other parts shielded from heat.

(Protostars are a cloud of gas and dust in the galaxies that gradually collapse to form a hot
dense core and become a star when favourable conditions and reactions take place)
This picture shows how the infrared light is used to uncover the underdrawings lying
beneath the color pigments of a painting. The human eye cannot see through the pigments.
As the infrared light goes through, it can reveal what lies beneath

By Flappiefh [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via

Wikimedia Commons

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History of Art (Infrared reflectography) – Infrared reflectograms (used by art

conservators to see the various layers in a painting) are used to find out the basic steps
involved in a painting, like its outline and other layers beneath the top paint. It will also
reveal if the painting is original or a duplicate copy.

Infrared reflectography is a study of paintings by looking deep into the different layers of
painting and was introduced in the late 1960s by the Dutch physicist J. R. J. Van Asperen De
Boer. Infrared radiation are incident on the painting and the degree of penetration into the
layers of the painting depends on the thickness and type of paint used and the wavelength
of radiation.
An infrared camera is used to record the infrared radiation reflected by the painting and this
generates an image called the infrared reflectogram. This reflectogram is converted to a
digital format (this is black and white) on a computer, that reveals so many details about
the painting that are invisible to the human eyes.

Recently laser scanning techniques have been developed and used, but the infrared
reflectography has been the best one as it reveals more details of the deeper layers than
the laser scanning technique.

Infrared imaging cameras – Infrared imaging is also called thermal imaging and it is the
process in which infrared energy is converted into an image that the human eye can see.
The warmest regions are red and then the colour changes to yellow, green, blue, violet as
the temperature decreases.

Infrared imaging is used to detect heat loss in insulating systems, to monitor or detect
change in blood flow in the skin and to detect overheating problems in any apparatus. They
are also used for military purposes like monitoring (military surveillance), target attainment,
night vision, homing, tracking.

In industries they are used to analyse the thermal efficiency of systems, to monitor the
environment, for inspection in industries, for remote sensing of temperatures for predicting
climate changes, for wireless communication, in spectroscopy (to study the absorption and
transmission of photons in the infrared energy range), for weather forecast, etc.

Hazards of Infrared radiation:

Strong infrared radiation can cause blindness to the eye by damaging the retina or
cornea depending on the intensity of radiation and hence Infrared proof goggles need to
be worn while working with them as one will not be aware of these radiations as they
are invisible.

When using infrared radiation for therapy where muscle pain and other pains are
treated, care has to be taken to regulate the intensity of the radiation, otherwise it can
cause severe burns.

Elderly people can be prone to low blood pressure if exposed to infrared radiation.

If exposed to infrared radiation for a long time, the body can lose fluid or water and this
can result in dehydration.

To read more about what infrared radiation is, discovery of infrared radiation, working of
infrared radiation and properties of infrared, please follow the link below.

How does Infrared Radiation work? Discovery, Detection, Properties and Facts about
Infrared
I hope you enjoyed this hub and found this a bit useful. I would like to hear your thoughts,
experiences and views on this subject. Please feel free to share them.

I would also like to have your feedback and ideas on anything that you feel could be
added here to improve or any errors that need to be rectified.

Thank you for reading,

Livingsta

Comments
livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on April 07, 2016:

Hi Abdu, glad you enjoyed reading. Thank you for your feedback! :-)

Abdu on March 27, 2016:

Wow, what a cool page, realy awesome

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on March 22, 2016:

Hello Fred,

Thank you for stopping by. I am sorry, I am not trained to provide advise on the equipment
that you are using. I would recommend you to visit your doctor or the professional who
advised you to use it. Hope this helps.

Thank you.

fred on February 01, 2016:

Hello there, I am using my late fathers Philips heat lamp but, I am not sure how long I must
expose my back to the rays. Can you help ?

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on January 06, 2016:

Hello Angel papna, you're welcome. I am glad that this educated you. All the best! :)

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on January 06, 2016:

Hello Asmi, thank you for reading and sharing your experience. Who recommended you to
use the device you are using? I am hoping that it is your doctor. I would recommend you to
get advise from your doctor. All the best! :)

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on January 06, 2016:

Hello Santhosh kumar athaluri, sorry for not replying earlier. Did you still need information
regarding the above? Please advise if you need. All the best! :)

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on January 06, 2016:

Hello Daniel Cabrera, thank you so much. I am glad that you found this interesting. Thank
you for reading and sharing your feedback. All the best! :)

Angel papna on October 12, 2015:

Thank you I have another knowledge about this a lot of knowledge thank you!!!!!!!!! I am so
glad

asmi on May 28, 2015:

To get relief from backpain, i use Infrared based massager, operated by electricity. I want to
know how often and how long I can use?

santhosh kumar athaluri on January 26, 2015:

thanks, a lot sir/Madam,

and can you please ,give me a detailed information about

1-effects of infra red light

2- difference between infra red radiation and infra red light,

Daniel Cabrera on July 17, 2014:

Your article was very thorough and clear. It is very well presented and exciting to learn of
the many uses of infrared radiation.

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on June 21, 2014:

You're welcome Palwashay. All the best. I'm glad that it was helpful :)

palwashay on October 25, 2013:

thank you sooooooooooooooo much for this information.........

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on May 05, 2013:

Hi My cook book, thank you for reading. I am glad you found this useful and interesting.
Thank you for the vote too. Have a good day!

Dil Vil from India on May 05, 2013:

Simply marvelous, very good knowledge hub and was written perfectly. I had a good read.
It is interesting and useful. Voted UP

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on May 04, 2013:

Hi Eddy, thank you for reading. I am pleased you liked it. Also thank you for the votes and
share.

Have a great weekend! :-)

Eiddwen from Wales on May 04, 2013:

A wonderful hub livingsta and I vote up,across and share.

Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend too.

Eddy.

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on May 02, 2013:

Hi Careermommy, thank you for reading and appreciating. I am pleased this was useful and
that you found this interesting! Have a good day!

Tirralan Watkins from Los Angeles, CA on May 02, 2013:

livingsta, after reading this well explained and insightful hub I felt you could have written a
book on this subject. It is so well written and so detailed . I learned so much with the simple
way you explained a very technical subject. Excellent job.

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on April 28, 2013:

Hi Vinaya, thank you for reading. I am pleased you found this interesting! Have a great
week.

Vinaya Ghimire from Nepal on April 27, 2013:

I studied since in college, but the subject was not meant for me. Scientific reasoning has
wide application. Thanks for explaining this interesting topic.

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on April 22, 2013:

Hi Prasetio30, thank you so much for reading and the votes. I am pleased this was of some
use to you. Have a great day!

prasetio30 from malang-indonesia on April 21, 2013:

Nice information. I had never heard about this before. So, I learn something new here.
Thanks for writing and sharing with us. Up and useful :-)

Prasetio

livingsta (author) from United Kingdom on April 21, 2013:

Hi Bill, thank you so much for reading. I am so happy that you found this useful! Thank you
for the appreciation. Have a great week ahead my friend.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on April 21, 2013:

What a great job of explaining a very difficult subject in a simple manner. I learned a great
deal from this informative hub. Well done my friend.