On-line process analyzers have an increasingly important role to play in the chemical industry by helping to improve product quality, reduce material costs, and reduce processing time. In this work, we describe the use of a process Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) system to monitor the principal monomer and co-monomer in the feed stream of a polyolefin process. Product density and type changes are controlled through closed-loop control of the co-monomer and total monomer ratio. We will discuss the calibration of the FT-IR system and the use of dynamic simulations to model analyzer performance relative to improved process control. Improvements in product density control and time required for type changes using the FT-IR system will be demonstrated.
