Plastic fingerprints? That’s exactly what process technology uses!
Did you know that every polymer has a unique infrared spectrum, essentially its own chemical fingerprint? Lennard Schulte, a doctoral candidate in Systems Process Engineering at AVT, is taking advantage of this. His research demonstrates how these spectra can be used to measure reaction-time-dependent concentrations in real time, enabling the targeted analysis and optimization of chemical processes. AVT’s Systems Process Engineering (SVT.AVT) focuses on model-based, computer-aided process engineering (modeling, simulation, and optimization), as well as the development of optimization algorithms for (electro)chemical processes. These mechanistic and data-driven models are supported by laboratory experiments. This allows for the development of algorithms that serve as model predictive control for monitoring and real-time optimization of batch and continuous processes.