Trust down to the Minutiae Next level of trust and precision: detection of impurities in the polymerization process

Next level of trust and precision: detection of impurities in the polymerization process

"In our laboratory, the multi EA 5000 is essential for the determination of impurities in samples generated in our pilot unit. We analyze for sulfur, nitrogen, chlorine and total carbon, both in liquid and gaseous samples as well as in solid samples," explained João Paulo Toledo, Senior Technical Chemist at Braskem. Polymerization is a sensitive chemical process that can be disrupted by even traces of impurities of certain chemicals. To monitor it, Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas and a world leader in the production of biopolymers, now employs Analytik Jena atomic absorption spectrometry.

In January 2020, the Analytik Jena team held a workshop on ele mentary analysis with the multi EA 5000 for members of Braskem’s Process and Quality Control Labora tory. As João Paulo Toledo of LDTP SP Braskem recalled: "Júlio explained some of the applications while we had an opportunity to discuss our experience of this technique that’s so important for our work."

Manufacturers are now working to detect even smaller amounts of impurities. "In the high-tech sector, new technologies are adopted almost simul taneously around the globe. With atomic absorption spectroscopy using contrAA systems, we’re able to help Braskem detect impurities by the part per million. And now, there’s a need to fi nd even lower traces, in the range of parts per billion," Júlio Cezar Paz de Mattos, Analytik Jena’s Regional Manager for South America, explained.

Analytik Jena has proved that it can meet this challenge using ICP-OES technology. "We’ve been able to demonstrate that we can achieve the required accuracy, raising our cooperation to a new level." Analytik Jena has also provided the company with Specord spectrophotometers and TOC analyzers, as well as elemental analyzers to check naphtha, gas, and ethylene for levels of chloride, nitrogen, and sulfur.

To Júlio, the trust on the part of Braskem is a key element in building up a strong business relationship. "We have shown that our technologies fulfi ll their promise and that they can run in industrial processes for years without a hitch."