Polyethylene

Petrochemical processing plants continue to seek better ways to produce more and improve efficiency without compromising safety. For polyethylene manufacturers, finding ways to achieve these goals can significantly boost output and profitability. Polyethylene products are produced using batch processing technology and are among the hydrocarbon products with the highest production costs.

Polyethylene producers rely on the ProC-TOF industrial process mass spectrometer for a variety of analytical and control applications. Reactor feed and product gases are analysed during the production process to ensure the product meets manufacturing specifications. Incorporating this analytical data into control strategies helps to increase yield and guarantee product quality.

Specific advantages of the ProC-TOF industrial process mass spectrometer include:

Increased product yield:

Rapid and accurate on-line analysis enables operators to control the process very closely to its optimal setpoints, thereby increasing product yield

Ability to reduce the time between batches by determining the exact time at which the next batch process can commence. This feature eliminates the need to rely solely on elapsed time or temperature and pressure indicators

Improved product quality:

Close monitoring of reactor inlet and outlet composition

Measurement of branched compounds to determine polymer chain length

Helps to avoid out-of-specification products

Improved process control:

Control algorithms do not require setting points to be adjusted away from optimal levels to ensure safety, as is the case with slower techniques such as gas chromatography

Reducing process variability helps to prevent equipment blockages

Typical analysis time per stream is less than 3 seconds. The inlet, ion source and filament assemblies of the ProC-TOF mass spectrometer feature a next-generation design. This extends filament life, increases the time between services and reduces maintenance downtime.