Control of Refining Processes on Mid-Distillates by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the accuracy of physicochemical determinations based on equations calculated by multivariate analysis of near infrared spectra which gives access to simultaneous analyses both on-line and off-line. Detailed results concerning the determination of the refractive index at 20°C, the density, the weight% of hydrogen, the % of aromatic carbon, the weight% of mono-, di- and total aromatics and the cetane number on mid-distillates are given in a shorter time than using the conventional approach by standardized methods. It is shown that near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics should allow detailed and precise comparisons of the hydrotreatment process efficiencies.