Chemical Processing - November 2007 - (Page 22)

PAT >> Rugged analyzer Based on Aspectrics’ patented encoded photometric NIR spectroscopy technology, which mimics FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared) spectroscopy but in a more robust online form, the 2750 online biofuels analyzer can monitor methanol, water and total glycerin in biodiesel, water content in bioethanol, biodiesel blends and ethanol/gasoline blends. A single analyzer can process multiple samples at 100 scans/ second, generating real-time results in a few seconds. Besides the obvious necessity for rugged designs, taking analytical procedures out of the lab and into the plant often requires getting the equipment certified for use in the relevant process environment. A recent example was the September launch of the X-STREAM flameproof process gas analyzer by the Solon, Ohio-based Rosemount Analytical unit of Emerson Process Management (Figure 2). Certified for use in Class 1, Zone 1, Group IIB + H2 hazardous areas, this unit is the latest addition to the X-STREAM series introduced in 2006, which offers single- and dual-channel analysis based on NDIR/UV/VIS (non-dispersive infrared, ultraviolet and visible) photometry, paramagnetic and electrochemical oxygen, and thermal conductivity sensor technologies. Not a pipe dream There’s progress not only in analysis of streams but also in online monitoring of the condition of the piping through which they flow. In September, Emerson announced that it has teamed up with Rohrback Cosasco Systems, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., to introduce the MCS Microcor wireless transmitter for high-speed communication of corrosion rate data from the plant to its automation system. Earlier, in June, Honeywell Process Solutions, Phoenix, Ariz., launched its OneWireless Figure 2. This flameproof process gas analyzer is designed to contend with process environments. Source: Emerson — Rosemount Analytical. boost to analytical hardware developments in recent years — and not just for pharmaceutical applications. For instance, Foss NIRSystems, Laurel, Md., says that, as a PAT tool, its XDS NIR analyzer is “the next generation of dedicated NIR technology for analyzing solid and liquid chemical and pharmaceutical formulations.” In the form of the Foss Process Analytics MicroBundle single-point system, the technology also is said to offer an economical way of performing online remote analyses in hazardous environments. The IntegraSpec XL NIR spectroscopy platform from Axsun Technologies, Billerica, Mass., is equally at home in a rugged in-line process environment or, in its XLP format, in tightly regulated PAT applications. Both versions are board-level platforms — complete with tunable-laserbased light source, integrated wavelength and amplitude references, and detector — that can be packaged and supplied through third-party analytical instrument manufacturers, systems integrators and process control companies. The XLP also includes comprehensive documentation to support Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulatory compliance for pharmaceutical end-users. The burgeoning biofuels sector (see www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2007/177.html) also stands to gain immediate benefits from being able to monitor product quality online. Manufacturers and buyers alike require the quality of the biofuels to meet recommended American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications. With ASTM-certified analysis costing up to $1,200 per sample, plants want to know their output satisfies specifications before sending product for certification. To meet this new demand, Aspectrics, Pleasanton, Calif., has extended the capabilities of its MultiComponent 2750 EP-NIR analyzer to provide pass/fail information on multiple biofuel contaminants before samples are sent out for ASTM certification. 22 • November 2007 >> Corrosion monitoring Figure 3. New wireless transmitters like this can ease getting real-time data on corrosion rates. Source: Honeywell. www.chemicalprocessing.com http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2007/177.html http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2007/177.html http://www.chemicalprocessing.com

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Chemical Processing - November 2007

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