K-Project PAC

The European chemical industry is the world leader in its field. 8 out of the 15 largest chemical companies are EU based. Furthermore 29 % of the worldwide chemical sales originate from the EU. These industries face future challenges such as rising costs and scarcity of raw materials, an increase in the price of energy, and intensified competition from Asian countries.

Process Analytical Chemistry represents one of the most significant developments in chemical and process engineering over the past decades. Chemical information is of increasing importance in today's chemical industry. It is required for efficient process development, scale-up and production. It is used to assure product quality and compliance with regulations that govern chemical production processes.

If reliable analytical information on the chemical process under investigation is available, adjustments and actions can be undertaken immediately in order to assure maximum yield and product quality while minimizing energy consumption and waste production. As a consequence, chemical information has a direct impact on the productivity and thus competitiveness, and on the environmental issues of the respective industries.

• Development and integration of novel detection principles for the measurement of data representing the chemical properties of the involved substances. The acquisition is performed directly from the running batch and continuous processes (Data Acquisition).
• Development and application of novel approaches for turning the measured data into valid information on the ongoing chemical processes (Data Processing)

The PAC-consortium has set itself the goal to gain valid chemical information directly from the process streams in real-time. This information shall be used to open new optimisation potentials for chemical processes.

By applying novel scientific and technological approaches the K-Project “Process Analytical Chemistry – Data Acquisition and Data Processing” will address the following questions:

• Which chemical information is necessary to optimise the process?
• Which measurement principle has the potential to deliver valid data?
• How can these data be turned into useful information for process-optimisation?

The project is organised in form of 6 sub-projects, with 4 of them being executed by the scientific partners in close colloboration with the company partners (4 multifirm-projects). The other 2 sub-projects are called strategic projects and their scope is mainly scientific.

• Multifirm-Project MP1: Quantification of Process Gases
• Multifirm-Project MP2: Quantifying and Predicting Parameters of Liquids in BATCH Processes
• Multifirm-Project MP3: Quantification of Parameters and Detection of Anomalies and critical Parameters in Liquids within continuous Processes
• Multifirm-Project MP4: Monitoring the Production of Viscose Fibres
• Strategic Project SP1: Advanced Chemometric Modelling
• Strategic Project SP2: QCL-WAGS - Sensor Systems (Quantum Cascade Lasers and Wave Guide - Structures)

Each of the sub-projects is coordinated by a Project Manager (staff-members of the scientific partners) and overviewed by a Key Researcher. The overall organisational head for PAC is the consortium-leader RECENDT.

The so-called board is a platform where all partners can discuss scientific and programme relevant issues. Voting rights are granted to the consortium leader, three company partners, and three scientific partners.

The funding for the projects within PAC comes from 3 sources:

one part is the in-kind - contribution from the scientific partners,
a major part of the costs is funded by the company partners, who contribute in form of cash and in-kind,
and an other major part is provided by public funding from the governments of Austria ( (BMVIT, BMDW) and the Federal States of Upper Austria.

The project is set within the Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies Program COMET and is administered by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG.