Chapter 23
Inline and Online Process Analytical
Technology with an Outlook
for the Petrochemical Industry
Rudolf W. Kessler and Waltraud Kessler
Abstract The concept of process analytical technology (PAT) started around the
1970s with the advent of personal computers in combination with instrumental
analytical chemistry. Over the years, increasingly sophisticated and holistic quality
management concepts such as quality by design (QbD) were developed and strongly
promoted, especially by the American Food and Drug Agency (FDA) around 2002.
Recently, the German initiative for the Fourth Industrial Revolution “Industrie 4.0
(i40)” was introduced, which is similar to the US “Industrial Internet Consortium
(IIC)” concept or the “Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).” Another initiative in Asia
is the Chinese campaign “Made in China 2025.” The role of PAT in all these concepts
is to develop and integrate context-sensitive intelligent sensors to enable understanding of the process at the basic mechanistic (molecular) level in order to achieve
knowledge-based production in the future. This contribution starts with a short introduction into the concept of PAT/QbD and other new concepts for the next generation
of spectroscopic sensors in the manufacturing industry. The fundamental limitations
of spectroscopy in terms of sensitivity and selectivity are discussed, and the need to
increase robustness for industrial applications is described. A critical discussion on
problems and problem solutions are provided when scattering samples are investigated. An outlook on how to use NIR spectroscopy within the petrochemical industry
and how to manage a PAT project complements this chapter.
Keywords Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) · Industrie 4.0 (i40) · Near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIR) · Petrochemical industry · Process analytical technology
(PAT) · Process control · Process understanding · Robustness · Sensitivity and
selectivity · Spectroscopy
R. W. Kessler (B) · W. Kessler
Reutlingen University, Kessler ProData GmbH, Kaiserstr. 66, 72764 Reutlingen, Germany
e-mail: rudolf.kessler@kesslerprodata.de
W. Kessler
e-mail: waltraud.kessler@kesslerprodata.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Ozaki et al. (eds.), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8648-4_23
553
Inline and Online Process Analytical
Technology with an Outlook
for the Petrochemical Industry
Rudolf W. Kessler and Waltraud Kessler
Abstract The concept of process analytical technology (PAT) started around the
1970s with the advent of personal computers in combination with instrumental
analytical chemistry. Over the years, increasingly sophisticated and holistic quality
management concepts such as quality by design (QbD) were developed and strongly
promoted, especially by the American Food and Drug Agency (FDA) around 2002.
Recently, the German initiative for the Fourth Industrial Revolution “Industrie 4.0
(i40)” was introduced, which is similar to the US “Industrial Internet Consortium
(IIC)” concept or the “Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).” Another initiative in Asia
is the Chinese campaign “Made in China 2025.” The role of PAT in all these concepts
is to develop and integrate context-sensitive intelligent sensors to enable understanding of the process at the basic mechanistic (molecular) level in order to achieve
knowledge-based production in the future. This contribution starts with a short introduction into the concept of PAT/QbD and other new concepts for the next generation
of spectroscopic sensors in the manufacturing industry. The fundamental limitations
of spectroscopy in terms of sensitivity and selectivity are discussed, and the need to
increase robustness for industrial applications is described. A critical discussion on
problems and problem solutions are provided when scattering samples are investigated. An outlook on how to use NIR spectroscopy within the petrochemical industry
and how to manage a PAT project complements this chapter.
Keywords Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) · Industrie 4.0 (i40) · Near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIR) · Petrochemical industry · Process analytical technology
(PAT) · Process control · Process understanding · Robustness · Sensitivity and
selectivity · Spectroscopy
R. W. Kessler (B) · W. Kessler
Reutlingen University, Kessler ProData GmbH, Kaiserstr. 66, 72764 Reutlingen, Germany
e-mail: rudolf.kessler@kesslerprodata.de
W. Kessler
e-mail: waltraud.kessler@kesslerprodata.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Ozaki et al. (eds.), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8648-4_23
553