Can I look inside an oven and measure the target temperature with an infrared thermometer?
Yes, but you have to consider the problem of reflections. Usually the oven is hotter than the target. The target has some reflectivity so the thermometer measures the emitted energy as well as the reflected energy and indicates too high. This can be eliminated by using a sight tube, or possibly measuring the target at the exit of the oven. For glass, plastic films, and paper applications selection of the right thermometer can eliminate the reflection problem without a sight tube or looking at the exit of the oven.
Can infrared instruments look through glass windows?
Yes, the window has to be transparent for the wavelength of instrument you are using. For 1 to 2.6 microns we suggest quartz, for 3.4 to 5.4 microns we suggest Calcium Fluoride.
Can we “see” through dust and smoke with an infrared thermometer?
No, the infrared thermometers cannot see thru these interferences. However, in most industrial applications the dust and smoke are rising from the hot object and, if your eye was as fast as the IR thermometer you can see openings where the instrument has a clear line of sight. With the aid of a function called a peak picker the instrument can indicate the target temperature and ignore the cold readings caused by the dust and smoke.
Do colours affect my infrared measurement?
For instruments that operate from the visible to 2.6 microns the color will usually change the emissivity. For wavelengths longer than 3 microns the color will not affect the emissivity. However, color does affect heating. Dark objects will get hotter than light colored objects.