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CHEMICALS & PHARMACEUTICALS


COMBINING ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY


FLEXIM explains how refractometric concentration measurement is providing a robust and cost-effective alternative to the potential risks of radiometry


quality control within the harsh realities of the chemical industrial environment. Monitoring, recording and controlling the concentration of dissolved solids in production lines, the process refractometer measures the refractive index continuously and in real time, accurately establishing the concentration, mass ratio, density or dissolved solids contents of binary or quasi-binary liquids. Users in industries such as chemical, textile,


T


automotive and semiconductor are switching from radiometric measurement to refractometric technology for a more reliable, less hazardous and continuous solution for which no regular tests are required by law. Measurement is rapid and quantitation is accurate. FLEXIM worked with a major German


chemical manufacturer looking for a suitably I


he online concentration analysis of liquid media is one of the most crucial considerations for accurate process and


reliable and stable, long term alternative to the risks, high cost and administrative and organisational requirements of radiometric density and concentration meters for the continuous concentration measurement of highly corrosive hydrochloric acid. As well as the demands of regular documented maintenance, these meters are also expensive to dispose of at the end of their life cycle. Producing chlorinated aromatics, amongst


other things at its Höchst site, the chemical manufacturer’s so-called side-chain plant specialises in the chlorination of the side chain of aromatic compounds, which is carried out by UV catalysts.


A BIG PLUS IN MEETING STRICT HYGIENE STANDARDS


n an effort to help pharmaceutical and food and beverage manufacturers adhere to increasingly stringent hygiene standards, Alfa Laval has developed PlusClean, the wall mounted cleaning nozzle. A 2020 survey of UK manufacturers conducted by Harris Interactive indicated that 79% of


respondents now feel more aware of hygiene practices following the pandemic, while they are under greater pressure to reduce cross-contamination between industrial processes. Despite recognition of this fact, only 31% of those surveyed believed that hygiene


practices in pharmaceutical and food and beverage settings are currently adequate. This may be owing to productivity taking precedence over the thoroughness of sterilisation processes. In response to this challenge, the PlusClean nozzle ensures manufacturers can achieve 100% coverage during cleaning without disrupting workflow. The PlusClean nozzle can be installed flush with the tank wall or bottom, targeting hard-


to-reach areas with a pressured fan of cleaning media during cleaning-in-place (CIP). As a result, manufacturers can guarantee total coverage during the sterilisation process, reducing the risk of cross-contamination between batches. This method also achieves up to an 80% reduction in water consumption versus industry standard tank cleaning techniques, resulting in long-term savings for the operator. For more demanding applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries,


PlusClean UltraPure is also available, with the Q-doc documentation package providing traceability across the entire supply chain. Alfa Laval


3 JUNE 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL 4 www.alfalaval.co.uk


FLEXIM www.flexim.co.uk


Compliance with the specified


concentration must be ensured at all times. Chlorination and hydrolysis both produce


hydrogen chloride gas. Pure high-quality hydrochloric acid is produced by precipitation with water, following the burning at very high temperatures of the organic exhaust gas components. This is why it is essential to continuously measure this concentration, ensuring that it is at 30% when fed into the industrial park’s integrated network. Measurement of refraction is a well-


established laboratory method for defining density and concentration. For hydrochloric acid there is an almost


direct correlation between concentration and refractive index. Refractometers like those used by FLEXIM, combine the high accuracy of refraction measurement with process reliability. Measuring using a transmitted-light method, the sensor head directly measures the refraction of light, unlike laboratory refractometers that measure indirectly via the critical angle of total reflection.


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