Open Access

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a promising candidate for low-cost, nondestructive, and highthroughput mass quantification of microplastics in environmental samples. Widespread application of the technique is currently hampered mainly by the low sensitivity of NIR spectroscopy compared to thermoanalytical approaches commonly used for this type of analysis. This study shows how the application of NIR spectroscopy for mass quantification of microplastics can be extended to smaller analyte levels by combining it with a simple and rapid microplastic enrichment protocol. For this purpose, the widely used flotation of microplastics in a NaCl solution, accelerated by centrifugation, was chosen which allowed to remove up to 99 % of the matrix at recovery rates of 83–104 %. The spectroscopic measurements took place directly on the stainless-steel filters used to collect the extracted particles to reduce sample handling to a minimum. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were used to identify and quantify the extracted microplastics in the mass range of 1–10 mg. The simple and fast extraction procedure was systematically optimized to meet the requirements for the quantification of microplastics from common PE-, PP-, and PS-based packaging materials with a particle size < 1 mm found in compost or soils with high natural organic matter content (> 10 % determined by loss on ignition). Microplastics could be detected in model samples at a mass fraction of 1 mg g-1. The detectable microplastic mass fraction is about an order of magnitude lower compared to previous studies using NIR spectroscopy without additional enrichment. To emphasize the cost-effectiveness of the method, it was implemented using some of the cheapest and most compact NIR spectrometers available.

Der Wandel von der aktuellen Automation zum smarten Sensor ist im vollen Gange. Automatisierungstechnik, sowie die Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik (IKT) verschmelzen zunehmend. Eine Topologie für smarte Sensoren, die das Zusammenwirken mit daten- und modellbasierten Steuerungen bis hin zur Softsensorik beschreibt gibt es bis heute jedoch noch nicht. Um zu einer störungsfreien Kommunikation aller Komponenten auf Basis eines einheitlichen Protokolls zu kommen sollte die Prozessindustrie die Weichen für eine smarte und sichere Kommunikationsarchitektur stellen. Sie verwehrt stattdessen die Entwicklungen ihrer Zulieferer und wartet lieber ab. Der Beitrag greift die Anforderungen der Technologie-Roadmap „Prozess-Sensoren 4.0“ auf und zeigt Möglichkeiten zu ihrer Realisierung am Beispiel eines Online-NMR-Analysators, der im Rahmen eines EU-Projekts entwickelt wurde.

Derzeit verfügbare Niederfeld-NMR-Spektrometer sind oft für Laborapplikationen konzipiert. Für den Einsatz im industriellen Prozessmonitoring müssen deshalb Anpassungen vorgenommen werden. Ein wichtiger Aspekt ist die Gestaltung der Messzelle. Sie muss über eine hohe thermische-, chemische und vor allem mechanische Beständigkeit verfügen. Hinzu kommt die Besonderheit des NMR-Experiments, das auf die Durchlässigkeit von Radiofrequenzen angewiesen ist. Keramik ist ein in der Hochfeld-NMR-Spektroskopie bewährtes Material das diese Eigenschaften vereint. Um im Prozessmonitoring die Interessen kleiner Bypass-Volumina, großer Durchflussgeschwindigkeit und großes Signal-zu-Rausch-Verhältnis mit der nötigen Vormagnetisierungszeit in Einklang zu bringen, ist eine im Messbereich aufgeweitete Zellgeometrie vorteilhaft. Die Fertigung einer Keramikmesszelle für die Niederfeld-NMR-Spektroskopie für Drücke bis 7 MPa mit dieser besonderen Geometrie wurde mit Hilfe eines modernen additiven Fertigungsverfahrens realisiert. Quantitative NMR-Messungen an konstant durch das Spektrometer strömenden Flüssigkeiten werden durch eine maximale Durchflussgeschwindigkeit limitiert. Diese wird von vielen Einflussgrößen bestimmt und sollte vor jeder quantitativen Messreihe experimentell für das individuelle System ermittelt werden. Zu diesem Zweck wurde eine automatisierte Laboranordnung konzipiert. Der Vergleich der neuen NMR-Keramikzelle mit bestehenden Messzellen u. a. anhand dieses Parameters untermauert ihre Eignung für das industrielle Prozessmonitoring.

Improvement in deep process understanding is a mandatory prerequisite for the application of modern concepts like Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or “Industrie 4.0”. This is particularly relevant in new process concepts such as intensified production in modularized plants. The direct hyphenation with online methods of process analytical technology (PAT) allows profound insights into the actual reactions within chemical and pharmaceutical production steps and provides necessary information for associated control strategies. While the industrial application of online Raman spectroscopy has already been successfully demonstrated, low-field NMR spectroscopy is not yet adequately developed as an online method for use in process industry. The high information content combined with the low calibration effort makes NMR spectroscopy a highly promising method for modern process automation with a high flexibility due to short set-up times and low requirements regarding validation. This is a major advantage especially within multi-purpose production plants, as well as for processes suffering from fluctuating quality of raw materials. NMR spectroscopy has a high potential for direct quantitative information, while cutting the calibration and validation needs to a minimum and thus exhibiting short set-up times. Within the EU project CONSENS, an NMR analyzer for direct implementation in an industrial process environment was developed based on a commercially available laboratory instrument. The challenge was not only the hyphenation to the production plant itself, but also to fulfill all requirements of chemical industry, e.g., explosion safety regulations (ATEX), robust automation and modern, as well as classical communication interfaces. The presented NMR module involves a compact spectrometer together with an acquisition unit and a programmable logic controller for automated data preparation (phasing, baseline correction), and evaluation. The module transforms the acquired online spectra of various technically relevant reactions to either conventional 4‒20 mA signals as well as WiFi based OPC-UA communication protocols. The concept was evaluated on two processes of pharmaceutical and chemical industry. As the first example the continuous synthesis of 2-nitrodiphenylamine starting from aniline and o-fluoronitrobenzene, activated by an organometallic lithium reagent, was studied. This application is highly demanding for a reliable automated evaluation of the obtained NMR spectra, which was realized by developing a physically motivated model-based approach. In the second example, a stage of the synthesis of the industrially important solvent tetrahydrofurane consisting of the catalytic hydrogenation of 2-butine-1,4-diol was monitored. This reaction is proceeding via an intermediate product and suffers from competitive reaction paths. In this application different spectroscopic methods were combined with the data obtained from classical process sensors, e.g., pressure, temperature and flow transducers for the development of innovative control concepts.

Monitoring chemical reactions is the key to chemical process control. Today, mainly optical online methods are applied. NMR spectroscopy has a high potential for direct loop process control. Compact NMR instruments based on permanent magnets are robust and relatively inexpensive analysers, which feature advantages like low cost, low maintenance, ease of use, and cryogen-free operation. Instruments for online NMR measurements equipped with a flow-through cell, possessing a good signal-to-noise-ratio, sufficient robustness, and meeting the requirements for integration into industrial plants (i.e., explosion safety and fully automated data analysis) are currently not available off the rack. Intensified continuous processes are in focus of current research. Flexible (modular) chemical plants can produce different products using the same equipment with short down-times between campaigns and quick introduction of new products to the market. In continuous flow processes online sensor data and tight closed-loop control of the product quality are mandatory. If these are not available, there is a huge risk of producing large amounts of out-of-spec (OOS) products. This is addressed in the European Unionʼs Research Project CONSENS (Integrated Control and Sensing) by development and integration of smart sensor modules for process monitoring and control within such modular plant setups. The presented NMR module is provided in an explosion proof housing of 57 x 57 x 85 cm module size and involves a compact 43.5 MHz NMR spectrometer together with an acquisition unit and a programmable logic controller for automated data preparation (phasing, baseline correction) and evaluation. Indirect Hard Modeling (IHM) was selected for data analysis of the low-field NMR spectra. A set-up for monitoring continuous reactions in a thermostated 1/8” tubular reactor using automated syringe pumps was used to validate the IHM models by using high-field NMR spectroscopy as analytical reference method.