Experimental Design, Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, and Multivariate Calibration: An Advanced Project in a Chemometrics Course

Abstract

A chemometrics course is offered to students in their fifth semester of the chemistry undergraduate program that includes an in-depth project. Students carry out the project over five weeks (three 8-h sessions per week) and conduct it in parallel to other courses or other practical work. The students conduct a literature search, carry out laboratory work, and write a technical report on a research subject of self-choice. In the project described here, the students worked on experimental design, using near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration, to develop methods to predict the properties of biodiesel and diesel blends. In addition to dealing with the chemometric tasks, the students synthesized the biodiesel sample and understood the importance as a renewable energy source.