Reaction and Process Monitoring
Knowledge of the reaction progress and composition of complex mixtures, for example in a stirred tank reactor or a distillation column, is of great importance for the optimization and resource-saving design of a process engineering process. In contrast to other analytical methods, nuclear NMR spectroscopy enables a non-invasive and direct quantitative determination of complex multicomponent mixtures without calibration. With a bypass approach, NMR spectroscopy is ideally suited for the continuous analysis of reactions and processes in real time. Benchtop NMR spectrometers specifically can be brought very close to the process to be analyzed due to their compact design.
Development and Characterization of Fixed-Bed Reactors for Gas-Liquid Reactions
For the design of heterogeneously catalyzed chemical production processes, knowledge of the reaction kinetics and the occurrence of possible by-products is of crucial importance. The multiphase trickle bed reactors commonly used in industry are currently difficult to replicate on a laboratory scale. The aim of this research is to develop and use a reactor concept that correctly reproduces the fluid dynamics in fixed-bed reactors in particular, thus enabling the scalability of the kinetic data.
Process Monitoring in Batch Distillation Plants
Information from inside distillation columns can be used to draw conclusions about anomalies in the process. NMR spectroscopy enables non-invasive and direct quantitative determination of complex multicomponent mixtures without calibration and is thus ideally suited for application purposes in the field of real-time reaction and process monitoring. Benchtop NMR spectrometers, in particular, can be incorporated into complex equipment to provide direct process analysis.
Analytics and Process Monitoring for Wine Production
In wine production, it is important to understand the underlying biological and chemical processes starting from the grape harvest, through fermentation and aging, to the ready-to-consume wine. For example, in a fermentation process, operating parameters such as temperature, pH, and substrate concentration have a serious impact on the microorganisms and ultimately on the taste and quality of the wine. NMR spectroscopy is ideally suited for the quantitative assessment of wines, as there is no need for complex sample preparation or specific calibration. Analysis of the complex wine matrix is challenging with benchtop NMR spectroscopy because many peaks overlap due to the lower chemical resolution. This can be remedied with dedicated evaluation models.
