APPLIED SPECTRA INC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 09

Description

Chemical composition of raw petroleum affects the refining methods to produce fuels and other products. Impurities can (i) cause adverse effects in refining and (ii) must meet regulated limits in products (e.g., <15 ppm sulfur in diesel). A cost-effective analytical measurement technology is needed to enable rapid determination of the components and trace impurities in raw materials and refinery products. Real-time chemical monitoring will enable the precisely controlled refining processes to ensure the quality of the raw material and the refinery products. Such analytical instrumentation does not exist. Currently, the refineries collect samples and ship them to specialized analytical laboratories. This mode of operation is expensive and takes long time for turnaround. Yet, typical labs use acid digestion of samples for ICP analysis, an evacuated spectrometer with a pump, a flow of high-purity argon, quartz/glassware and other consumables. Hazardous waste must be disposed after the measurement. Lengthy sample handling, high power consumption (~3 kW) and large equipment sizes impede the use of ICP at the refineries. How this problem is being addressed: We propose to develop portable analytical instrumentation based on a new approach to rapid chemical analysis without dissolving the samples, directly in ambient air. The technology uses instantaneous laser ablation of the petroleum aspirated into a small chamber. Proposed laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) yields real-time information on chemical composition. The proposed instruments will enable the precisely controlled processes by monitoring chemical data at various stages of refining. The speed of the LIBS analysis cannot be matched by any other available technology. This is a "green" technology that utilizes low power (<400W), does not require consumables and generates no waste. Phase I will result in a prototype. Phase II will involve development of a ruggedized compact LIBS instrument for the refining industry. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: Benefits of this technique are rapid and direct chemical analysis without dissolution and/or deep evacuation of samples (as currently required). High-volume refinery business created a demand for real-time metrology for process control. Our technology will substantially shorten the time for analysis, and thus will enable prompt (automatic) decisions for the refining process control and optimization. We will provide a crucial tool to improve efficiency and quality of the refinery manufacturing. It will be also useful in other fields (metallurgy, geology, ecology) where rapid chemical analysis is necessary. Eventually, it will be accepted by other industries as a less expensive and "green" alternative to the present-day acidic digestion analytical technologies. Key Words: Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Petroleum Refinery, Chemical Composition, Instantaneous In-Situ Monitoring and Measurement, "Green" Technology.