Process Analysis with FT-NIR Spectroscopy
Check important process parameters immediately for reaction monitoring and control. Fiber-coupled probes and sensor heads allow a direct look into the process without time delay.
Keeping an Eye on your Process with FT-NIR Spectroscopy
Today many manufacturers are striving not only to produce the highest quality final product but also to improve manufacturing efficiency by shifting the final quality analysis from the laboratory to the production plants. This will help to reduce the labor costs, but also allow redeploying skilled staff into more demanding engineering roles.
By integrating real-time process analysis into the manufacturing processes, it is possible to optimize the use of materials, increase the overall equipment efficiency and reduce or eliminate the production of off-specification batches, thus saving reprocessing or disposal costs.
Moreover, stringent regulations are demanding greater traceability throughout the manufacturing process, today already in the pharmaceutical industry, but soon also on other industries, like food production.
Key Benefits of Bruker's FT-NIR Solutions
All Bruker process spectrometers are characterized by robustness, long-term stability, and low maintenance costs. Thousands of installations in the chemical, petrochemical and polymer industry as well as in pharmaceutical production processes and in the field of food and feed manufacturing prove our experience.
To the cost of a conventional analysis (consumables, maintenance and labor costs), very often the cost of unrealized profits as well as losses due to faulty batches and their disposal must be added.
FT-NIR online analysis on the other hand needs an initial investment for the spectrometer, process probes and accessories, as well as labor costs for the calibration development, but marginal running costs for labor and maintenance. Moreover, the process can be optimized, reaction yields can be maximized, and faulty batches can be prevented making unrealized profit a thing of the past.
The graph shows a comparison of conventional offline analysis and online FT-NIR. It is based on real data of a customer in the chemical industry, where the return on investment (ROI) was realized within 7 months and substantial profit gains were achieved in the following years.
Bruker's patented RockSolid™ interferometer with Cube Corner mirrors guarantees ultra-precise light guidance, a precondition for reliable analysis results. In combination with the permanent alignment utilizing an internal laser, the MATRIX-F II process spectrometers are highly operational even under harsh conditions.
The Fourier-Transform (FT) based spectrometer technology provides outstanding wavenumber accuracy and permits the direct transfer of calibration models from one FT instrument to another. This allows the development of calibrations in the laboratory and a straightforward porting to the process spectrometer.
FT-NIR spectroscopy provides a rapid method for analysis of several components simultaneously based a one single measurement, since the resulting spectrum contains the unique information from the vibrational absorption bands of each molecule.
With Bruker’s multi-channel process spectrometer MATRIX-F up to 6 locations can be monitored, reducing the cost per measurement point. The probes, flow cells or sensor heads are mounted directly into the reactor and transmitting the light over long distances (> 100 m) by using fiber optical cables.
The team of process specialists are there to help with many years of experience in answering your questions. In accordance with your applications and measuring parameters, we advise you on selecting the best measuring accessories, installation locations and communication protocols for your analytical task.
