Process Analytical Instrumentation Research Articles

Process Analytical Instrumentation, the Challenges for In-situ Characterization of Complex Particulate Materials

The twin desires to increase competitiveness, and reduce exposure to risk are common to all manufacturers. This translates into increasing product complexity, a constant pressure on costs, and legislated minimisation of environmental footprint which in turn requires better control, more cheaply and with less waste. Hence improving process efficiency and understanding is a key goal for many chemical producers. Particulate handling operations are widespread in the processing of a wide and diverse range of products, including pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, household, and speciality chemicals with up to 60% of the chemical business involving particle processing. Therefore analytical particle technology has always had an important role to yield microstructure information of such complex materials. There is a widespread perceived industrial need to develop and deliver fast, reliable and accurate tools and methods for the in-situ characterisation of particulate processes and products. The justification being that end-product quality and reproducibility depends on determining the concentration of the solution, the solids, particle size distribution, as these factors dictate the individual process efficiency and have a major impact on downstream operations such as filtration, drying, transport, and storage. While offline characterisation of processes provides a more controlled environment, by definition the product is removed from the process environment, on-line characterisation offers direct observation in process conditions but at the cost of losing control of the measurement environment and the material ceasing to be the ideal, well behaved sample. Process Analytical instruments should be an essential part of the solution especially at high concentration where real industrial processes operate and should demonstrate significant uptake in on-line analysis. But despite all the claims and all the hopes, in the last 15 years the capability to characterise particulate systems in-situ at high concentration has not met with the original expectations. We examine the benefits of replacing off-line analytical procedures with on-line size analysis systems, the challenges of characterising complex and high concentration processes and describes some of the novel technologies being developed to provide not only information on the structure but also on the process performance. Simple adaption of laboratory methods has significant disadvantages, especially at High Concentration which is the typical process situation. There remains a significant challenge in applying novel solutions to provide a more complete and instantaneous picture of both the nature of the product and the process. We examine the progress in the field, the issues; the needs and the factors which must be considered to achieve a successful solution to real applications.

Biomechatronics for designing bioprocess monitoring and control systems: Application to stem cell production

Stem cell production systems need elaborate monitoring and control for meeting requirements on the final cell product. In this article, the use of biomechatronic design methodology for supporting these efforts is described. Biomechatronic design, which is based on a fundamental systematical design approach originating from mechanical engineering, is here applied for investigating how monitoring and control systems can be configured in stem cell manufacturing processes. Results are provided that demonstrate how the biomechatronic design tools are used to compare different process analytical instrumentation resulting in a design layout for the monitoring system for derivation of hepatocytes from human embryonic stem cells. The results can be extrapolated to other stem cell production processes using the same methodology.

MOEMS miniature spectrometers using tuneable Fabry-Perot interferometers

New tuneable MOEMS filters have been developed to cover the spectral range from 400 to 750 nm. Compared with previous MEMS based visible light filters, these Fabry-Perot Interferometers (FPIs) have increased transmission (90%), spectral resolution of ∼ 4 to 9 nm, and larger aperture diameter (2 mm), which allows them to be used in spectral imaging devices. We present the fabrication process and characterization of tuneable MOEMS FPIs for central wavelengths of λ = 420 nm and λ = 670 nm. Miniature imaging spectrometers have potential novel applications in diagnostics and health care, bioprocess, and environmental monitoring, process analytical instrumentation, and water-quality analysis.

Analytical instrumentation: a guide to laboratory, portable and miniaturized instruments

Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. Acronyms and Abbreviations. 1. Introduction. 1.1 The Analytical Scientist. 1.2 The Analytical Process. 1.3 Analytical Instrumentation. 1.4 Choosing the Right Instrument. References. SECTION I. LABORATORY ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION. 2. Spectrometric Instruments. 2.1 Molecular Spectrometry. 2.1.1 Ultraviolet, Visible and Near Infrared. 2.1.2 Infrared and Raman. 2.1.3 Luminescence. 2.1.4 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. 2.1.5 Mass Spectrometry. 2.2 Atomic Spectrometry. 2.2.1 Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry. 2.2.2 Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry. 2.2.3 Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. References. 3. Separation Instruments. 3.1 Gas Chromatography. 3.2 High Performance Liquid Chromatography. 3.3 Ion Chromatography. 3.4 Capillary Electrophoresis. 3.5 Supercritical Fluid Chromatography. 3.6 Hyphenated (Hybrid) Instruments. 3.6.1 Hyphenated Gas Chromatography Techniques. 3.6.2 Hyphenated Liquid Chromatography Techniques. 3.6.3 Hyphenated Capillary Electrophoresis Techniques. References. 4. Imaging Instruments. 4.1 Optical Microscopy. 4.2 Confocal Microscopy. 4.3 Electron Microscopy. 4.3.1 Scanning Electron Microscopy. 4.3.2 Transmission Electron Microscopy. 4.4 Scanning Probe Microscopy. 4.4.1 Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy. 4.4.2 Atomic Force Microscopy. 4.5 Spectral Imaging. References. 5. Electrochemical Instruments. 5.1 Potentiometry. 5.2 Voltammetry. 5.3 Conductimetry. References. 6. Other Instruments. 6.1 Thermogravimetric Analysis. 6.2 Differential Scanning Calorimetry. 6.3 X-ray Diffraction. References. SECTION II. PORTABLE ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION. The Drive for Portable Analytical Instruments. 7. Portable Instruments in the Laboratory. 7.1 Spectrometric Instruments. 7.2 Separation Instruments. 7.3 Imaging Instruments. 7.4 Electrochemical Instruments. References. 8. Portable Instruments in Various Applications. 8.1 Medical Applications. 8.1.1 Point-of-Care Technology. 8.1.2 Blood Glucose Testing. 8.1.3 Blood Coagulation Monitoring. 8.1.4 Other Point-of-Care Devices. 8.2 Environmental Applications. 8.2.1 Field Devices. 8.2.2 Water Quality Monitoring. 8.2.3 Soil and Sediment Testing. 8.2.4 Air Monitoring. 8.3 Security and Defence Applications. 8.4 Other Applications. References. SECTION III. PROCESS ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION. The Drive for Process Analysis. References. 9. Process Analytical Instrumentation in Industry. 9.1 In-Process Sampling. 9.2 In-Process Analysis. 9.2.1 Flow Injection Analysis. 9.2.2 Spectroscopic Analysis. 9.2.3 Separation Analysis. 9.2.4 Imaging Analysis. 9.2.5 Electrochemical Analysis. 9.3 Laboratory Integrated Management Systems. References. SECTION IV. MINIATURISED ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION. The Drive for Miniaturised Analytical Instrumentation. References. 10. Chip-based Instrumentation. 10.1 The Development of Chip-based Analytical Devices. 10.2 Challenges for Chip-based Analytical Devices. 10.2.1 Moving and Mixing Fluids on a Chip. 10.2.2 Fitting Components onto a Chip. 10.2.3 Sampling and Detection Strategies. 10.2.4 Understanding Processes on the Microscale. 10.3 Chip-based Analytical Instruments. 10.3.1 Lab-on-valve Flow Injection Analysis. 10.3.2 Spectroscopic Devices. 10.3.3 Separation Devices. 10.3.4 Imaging Devices. 10.3.5 Electrochemical Devices. 10.3.6 Other Chip-based Devices. References. Index.

Real-time monitoring of polyurethane production using near-infrared spectroscopy

A process near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer was interfaced directly to a reactor by using a fiber optic bundle interactance immersion probe. This remote sensor configuration enables the production of polyurethanes to be monitored in real-time. A Beer's Law model was derived for the quantitative determination of isocyanate in the urethane polymerization reaction. Statistical process control was used to observe trends in the polymerization reaction. The integration of NIR process analytical instrumentation directly into the process provides real-time chemical information that yields improvements in product quality and consistency, while minimizing reaction time.

Application of Fundamental Parameter Software to On-Line XRF Analysis

X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is an analytical method which has been adapted with considerable success to on-line industrial process analysis with various degrees of sophistication. Process analysis XRF systems range from relatively simple units utilizing radioisotope sources with non-dispersive analyzers to complex wavelength dispersive systems in a central location receiving samples from a number of process streams. The advantages of on-line process analytical instrumentation for quality control, regulatory 2 compliance and safety considerations are well documented. ' Advances in the development of low maintenance thermoelectrically cooled Si(Li) detectors have made energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRF) even more amendable to on-line process analysis. EDXRF is an important method of on-line instrumentation because of its ability to simultaneously detect many elements.

On-site acceptance of process analytical instrumentation and interfacing between technical disciplines Part II: the solution

Part I considered the present status of process analytical instrumentation, drawing on practical situations from the author's experience. Reasons for the poor to mediocre results achieved thus far in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries were examined. In Part II, the authors puts forward some proposals that will help those in the process industries now introducing the instrumentation to avoid the pitfalls of the past.

On-site acceptance of process analytical instrumentation interfacing between technical disciplines Part I: the problem

Part I of this article considers the present status of process analytical instrumentation, drawing on practical situations from the author's experience. Reasons for the poor to mediocre results achieved thus far in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries are examined. In Part II, the author puts forward some proposals that will help those in the process industries now introducing the instrumentation to avoid the pitfalls of the past.

The status of process analytical instrumentation : Recommended practices and future trends

The use of process analytical instrumentation with particular reference to the oil and petrochemical industries, is reviewed, taking into account the involvement of process engineering, laboratory, operations, maintenance, and instrument engineering functions. Selection of analyzers providing process monitoring, safety control or environment protection must be based on proper appreciation of their financial contribution to process and plant operation (pay-back ratio). All aspects of the operating environment affect the operating pay-back ratio. The overall systems concept is vital. Present practices of analyzer system protection by installation in local cabinets and analyzer houses are reviewed and arguments are given for more informed practices. Construction, design, location, safety and ventilation are considered. Analyzer calibration is described in detail. Laboratory practices, maintenance procedures, maintenance training and the need for better motivation by management are discussed, as are the potential benefits of total automation. Types of process analyzers and new design and development trends are reviewed. The importance of engineering and design standards and of system and analyzer design documentation is emphasized.

The 5th Warwick School on Process Analytical Instrumentation

The 5th Warwick School on Process Analytical Instrumentation

When you want process analytical instrumentation...

When you want process analytical instrumentation...

When you want process analytical instrumentation...

When you want process analytical instrumentation...