Inline Monitoring of CO₂ Absorption Processes Using Simple Analytical Techniques and Multivariate Modeling

Abstract

Abstract The solvent and the dissolved CO 2 concentrations are two essential properties of CO 2 absorption processes. Currently, they are typically monitored using time‐consuming offline analytical techniques. Initial development efforts aiming at a cost‐effective and reliable inline monitoring system are described. Using a fractional factorial experimental design covering six solvent properties and five analytical techniques, it is demonstrated that the CO 2 and solvent concentrations correlate well with the density and refractive index. Applying a simplistic multivariate model to solvent samples from an industrial pilot plant indicated good potential for predictive use. Future work should focus on the development of a more accurate multivariate model, on the modeling of more solvents, and on combining the results with available process data.