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Chemical Catalyst Research
Catalysts are the driving force behind advancements in the chemical industry. The challenge is scaling up the catalyst process from the laboratory to the pilot plant and, ultimately, to production levels. Reactive catalysts are typically large surface-area particles bonded to a larger structure. It's imperative that the amount of feed flowing through the research catalyst bed be precisely and accurately measured so that the conversion rate and selectivity can be accurately calculated. Normal catalyst development results in incremental improvements in conversion rates and selectivity. Errors in measurement at these very low flows will be amplified upon scale-up. Thus, flow measurement accuracy is critically important. QUANTIM offers high accuracy mass measurement and control.
Examples: Petrochemical catalyst research, refining desulphurization catalyst research
Precision Coatings
Many critical coating processes use liquids that are sprayed onto surfaces. The delivery rate to the spray nozzle controls the film thickness on the object while gas flow determines droplet size and spray pattern. Precision coating processes require tight control of coating thickness, must be reproducible and minimize liquid waste. Medical device coating is an example of a process requiring extreme liquid flow precision. These coatings may contain an active drug which has to be evenly distributed and must also contain the correct dosage for the device. QUANTIM is perfect for controlling the flow rate to the spray nozzle. Gas flow is controlled using a thermal mass flow device.
Examples: Cardiac device coating, catheter coating, pill coating, fragrance dispensing
Chemical Injection/Dosing Systems
Injecting a very small flow of chemical liquid into a larger stream is a common control challenge. Traditionally, a flowmeter measuring the larger stream creates pulses for a displacement pump to squirt a fixed volume of chemical into it. Because the pump volume is fixed, the frequency of pulses can be low enough during low-flow conditions to result in uneven addition of the chemical.
QUANTIM is an ideal solution for metering and controlling the low flow of the chemical into the larger stream. A flow meter on the large volume line generates a continuous flow signal. This signal becomes the setpoint for the QUANTIM, which will control the flow based on a fixed ratio of injectant to large flow. The result is a steady concentration of chemical in the larger stream. QUANTIM also provides a positive feedback of actual delivery amount, which can be useful for documenting injection volumes.
Examples: Natural gas and propane odorization, gas humidification, fuel additives, fuel cells
Metrology
The performance of many low flow metering instruments such as pumps, injectors, and dispense heads must be periodically verified and calibrated. As a true mass measurement transfer standard, QUANTIM is ideal for this application. QUANTIM̀s Coriolis sensor is fluid independent, resulting in a very flexible flow standard for metrology applications. Importantly, because QUANTIM can function as a flow meter or flow controller, it can verify passive flow sensors or actively control flow to a device.
Examples: Flow laboratories, fuel cells, analytical devices and hydraulic devices
Metering Pump Control
Metering pumps are open-loop devices that normally cannot provide any positive feedback of actual delivery rate to the process. The solution to this is a QUANTIM flow meter which can be used in-line with a metering pump to document actual flow or can be used to provide a fluid demand signal to the pump. The responsive Coriolis sensor provides feedback for such cyclical flows produced from a positive displacement pump.
Examples: Chemical research, pilot plants process plants
High Pressure Gases
Accurate measurement and control of a gas is not always easy under high pressure conditions. Certain gases become supercritical under even moderate fluctuations in pressure and temperature. Supercritical gases are difficult to measure using traditional thermal flow sensors since the heat capacity can vary greatly over a small shift in temperature. QUANTIM is ideal for measuring and controlling supercritical gases.
Examples: Supercritical carbon dioxide, supercritical hydrocarbons such as ethylene
Vacuum Thin Film Coating
In certain types of industrial and high tech manufacturing processes, the ability to create a thin chemical coating or film is critical. Many of the chemical precursors used to create these films are liquid at room temperature and must be vaporized prior to entering the process chamber. The problem is that typical vaporizers use very high heat to create vapor, which causes the delicate precursors to decompose, clogging the vaporizer and contaminating the process. The Brooks®/MSP Turbo-Vaporizer™, with its fine droplet atomizer and recirculating gas heat exchanger, provides an ideal solution. Carrier gas, heated to the temperature of the liquid, quickly, yet gently, vaporizes the atomized liquid, resulting in a pure, clean vapor. And the Brooks/MSP Vaporizer accommodates up to 3 liquids at once for processes such as doped silicon oxide. The precise flow control of QUANTIM, coupled with thorough mixing of the vapor components, results in outstanding stoichiometry.
Examples: Semiconductor CVD/ALD coatings, metal hard coating, diamond-like coatings |
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