Putting Fiber-Optical Spectroscopy to Work

    The beauty of fiber-optical spectroscopy is that small, inexpensive devices with no moving parts bring their capacity to where the samples are, rather than the other way round. As a result, spectra can be recorded in almost real time, which means that information about composition, concentration and other chemical parameters can be gathered alongside of temperature, pressure and flowrate. The opportunities for process monitoring and, eventually, process control in the chemical process industries (CPI) are striking. This overview describes how to apply this technology in your production plant, and provides examples of the benefits achieved when implemented.   Spectrocopy basics Optical spectroscopy measures the interaction of light and matter to provide valuable information about molecular structures and the purity of compounds. As an analytical tool, spectroscopy can be used for identification of compounds, determination of component-concentrations in solutions, and detection of trace compounds. The various spectroscopy techniques are conveniently classified by the wavelength, ^, of the incident light:   Ultraviolet (UV) light (^ < 400 nm) yields information on the electronic structure of molecules. UV spectroscopy…