This invention is directed to a new, inexpensive analytical instrument that can be used to study and evaluate such essential parameters as light intensity, photoinitiator concentration, and monomer reactivity in a wide variety of UV photopolymerization curing applications. The device provides real-time information as the sample proceeds through the photoreactive phase. Through the direct, continuous, and remote monitoring of the sample using optical pyrometery, the temperature of the monomer undergoing photopolymerization can be obtained as a function of time. The flexibility of the device makes it suitable for the rapid optimization of formulations as well as a quality controlproduct assurance tool for a number of current industrial processes, such as, the UV curing of printing inks, coatings, adhesives and 3D (stereolithography) parts.