autosamplers, we know we can rely on METTLER TOLEDO." Risks at sample and data handling

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1 Chemicals & Petrochemicals Analytical solutions in the laboratory 4 News Optimized Titration Workflow for Secure and Efficient Processes Titration workflows at Syngenta were operator-dependent when handling samples and data. The SmartSample solution has improved the security and efficiency of the quality control workflows of this agribusiness leader. With numerous production plants around the globe, Syngenta is one of the world s largest names in agribusiness, manufacturing crop protection products and commercial seeds. The company is also involved in biotechnology. Their plant in Monthey, Valais, Switzerland is responsible for the production of numerous pesticides. Syngenta s titration system is mainly used to determine trace amounts of cyanide and chloride as well as running standard acid-base titrations. Quality and process controls are a high priority for Syngenta. Mr. Kilic, group leader of Analytics, explains, "We are responsible for several control processes. Reliable and efficient laboratory equipment is, therefore, essential. When it comes to balances, titrators and autosamplers, we know we can rely on METTLER TOLEDO." Risks at sample and data handling The standard workflow for a series of titration samples previously involved weighing the samples at a balance, manually noting each weight and ID, typing the data into the titrator and placing the sample beakers on the autosampler rack in the correct order. Data transcription errors or incorrect sample order on the rack were a familiar scenario when dealing with many samples, thus requiring the user to repeat the analysis. Optimized titration workflow Workflow optimization at Syngenta was desirable in order to improve process se-

2 Titration Automation RFID tags can be attached to the beaker via a sleeve, the sample is weighed and the ID defined at the Excellence balance curity and improve upon lean organization strategies. One of the key factors involved was secure sample and data handling. The SmartSample solution at the Monthey plant now provides the seamless interaction of an Excellence T70 titrator, an InMotion Flex 100 ml AutoSampler and an Excellence XPE204 balance. SmartSample is as simple as it is compelling. All sample data is written on an RFID tag attached to the beaker directly at the balance. The InMotion autosampler, equipped with an RFID reader, automatically extracts this information and transfers it to the titrator. It is impossible to mix-up sample data as the information always stays with the sample. Easy and secure operation Lab assistant, Mr. Abbet, describes the workflow, "I weigh the sample, define the sample ID and press one button to write the data onto the tag. This saves time typ- ing in weights and prevents potential errors. Then I put the beakers on the rack in any order and start the analysis." In conclusion Mr Kilic states, "METTLER TOLEDO to me stands for quality and robustness which is also what we demand of our analysis. We like the new SmartSample system and are pleased that we can further optimize our workflow." Text: J-L Roulin, Sales Consultant, Switzerland Publisher Mettler-Toledo GmbH Laboratory Division Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland Production Segment Marketing LAB Global MarCom Switzerland Subject to technical changes. Mettler-Toledo GmbH 01/16 Printed in Switzerland. Sample beaker with RFID tag Weight and sample Info is written to RFID and XPE balance Sample is automatically analyzed using the data on the RFID on the InMotion sample changer 2 METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4

3 Safe and Accurate Manual Dosing of Fine Powders Chemical dyes must be dosed with pristine accuracy to achieve repeatable results and avoid spills or airborne contamination. The Quantos Hand-held Powder Dispenser (HPD) ensures operator safety and consistent manual powder dosing. Ergonomic Design Contoured for convenient handling and smooth operation without risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) Sample Container Flexible system for connecting typical sample containers to the dosing head Dosing Head Precise dosing of free-flowing substances, with RFID chip for traceable records Powdered tinting agents are often tediously hand-measured by spatula in small amounts. Such fine powders can easily become airborne, presenting inhalation and cross contamination risks. Additionally, tinting agent stains are very difficult to clean. Handling aggressive powders One well-known coating and colorant producer was keen to optimize their dye formulation process and simultaneously increase safety for their laboratory staff as they were frequently switching off the safety cabinet ventilation system in order to try and gain more accurate formulation results. Safe, accurate manual dosing Today, the HPD is bringing convenience, safety and ease-of-use to the company s manual powder dispensing work. Repetitive filling is achieved without spills or airborne contamination, improving safety and drastically reducing clean-up time. The hand-held device is also ideal for use in the company s safety cabinet, which houses their new METTLER TOLEDO precision balance. The balance has a built-in application to guide users through the formulation process. The SmartTrac dosing guide ensures tolerances are not exceeded and the company easily achieves the correct colors their customers desire. Text: Julia Schenk, Quantos Product Manager METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4 3

4 Reaction Analysis Innovative Techniques to Synthesize Breakthrough Molecules Due to the increase in molecule complexity, shorter timelines and high scale-up confidence required by industry, new techniques are necessary to develop better chemistry. EasyMax synthesis workstations provide a simple and repeatable way to control reaction parameters 24 hours a day. Many chemists and engineers are constrained at the bench when exploring a wide range of experimental conditions. Due to inherent shortcomings associated with traditional equipment, the ability to discover new synthetic pathways in a timely manner is highly limited. The main challenges are: 1. Reaction temperature, a critical parameter, cannot be truly investigated with traditional synthesis equipment. 2. Expanding experimental evaluations to other critical process parameters, such as dosing rate, stirring and ph. 3. The requirement to record key process and performance data electronically and synchronize it with other analytical measurements for historical or regulatory purposes. Traditional equipment to support chemical synthesis, such as heating mantles, ice baths and cryostats combined with standalone dosing funnels and stirrer motors have limited temperature range, poor control capabilities, are manually 4 METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4

5 Whitepaper: Techniques to Synthesize Breakthrough Molecules Read how four leading pharmaceutical companies implement new synthesis techniques and the impact on the chemical synthesis lab performance. Download the whitepaper now EasyMax 102 controls reactions 24/7 Automatic data management With a synthesis workstation, all experimental data gets captured and autointensive and do not easily (automatically/ electronically) capture and report realtime data as the synthesis proceeds. Today, researchers are applying and enabling effective technology solutions to expand the research and development of innovative molecules. Synthesis workstation technologies open new possibilities for the control, optimization and reporting of critical process conditions. Tailored reaction temperature Traditionally, synthesis design space has been limited to three operating temperatures below room temperature: 0 C, -10 C and -78 C. In reality, many reactions operate in a more desirable manner when they are run at temperatures other than these historic conditions. With Easy- Max synthesis workstations, chemists have control and can explore innovative reaction conditions by simply operating at the temperatures best suited for their chemistry. Expanded experimental evaluations Screening a range of process parameters (e.g. ph, dosing, etc.) during an experiment ensures that results are more reproducible, enables comparison between experiments with less repetition and scale up has a higher probability of success. EasyMax synthesis workstations provide 24-hour unattended safe and repeatable control of dosing, temperature and mixing parameters. matically shared. Fellow researchers can overlay batch results in a shared software platform for powerful data analysis and reporting. Simple and repeatable parameter control Due to the increase in molecule complexity, shorter timelines and the high scale up confidence required by industry, new techniques are necessary to develop better chemistry. EasyMax synthesis workstations provide a simple and repeatable way to control reaction parameters 24 hours a day ensuring that the chemist can remain focused on improving chemistry. Text: Francis Van Der Eycken, AutoChem Innovation Head METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4 5

6 Moisture Determination Two-step Moisture Method Delivers Gypsum Purity Gypsum is a by-product generated through cleaning technologies that reduce sulphur dioxide emission from power stations. METTLER TOLEDO s HX204 moisture analyzer provides a quick and easy evaluation of gypsum purity in a single test, thanks to an innovative two-step drying program. HX204 moisture analyzer starts the Gypsum method with OneClick TM Gypsum, whether natural or synthetic, is a powdered substance with many important applications in construction, medicine, agriculture and the arts. Interest has grown recently in synthetic gypsum, which typically has a higher purity value than its natural counterpart. Synthetic gypsum is produced in a process known as flue gas desulphurization (FGD), the technology used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-fired power stations. Determining gypsum purity Ensuring correct purity values using inprocess control methods helps to guarantee that products manufactured from purified gypsum will perform according to specification. Purity indicators are derived by determining a gypsum sample s free and crystalline-bound water content. Highly purified gypsum typically has a free moisture content of less than 10 percent and a purity level between percent, with purity levels below 95 percent in FGD indicating a need for process adjustment. Precise moisture content results, combined with robust construction, make the 6 METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4

7 Gypsum is commonly used as a finish for walls and ceilings HX204 halogen moisture analyzer from METTLER TOLEDO the perfect choice for this routine sample testing. At any point during production, free and crystallinebound water values can be determined quickly and easily in a single test sequence using a two-stage, two temperature process: 50 C for free water, then 200 C for crystalline. During each stage, the HX204 s halogen technology provides precise temperature control and fast, homogeneous drying. Timesaving operation Pre-defining the parameters for the gypsum drying program on the HX204 could not be easier. Simply setting up a shortcut on the instrument s touchscreen means that any operator can start the test with just OneClick. Approximately 5 g of powdered gypsum is then weighed into a tared sample pan and the drying program is started. The results of each step are automatically recorded: The wet weight, 50 C drying results (for surface water) and 200 C drying results (for crystalline water). The time and handling needed for analysis are significantly reduced compared to the drying-oven method. These time savings mean that samples can either be taken more frequently for enhanced quality management or quality personnel can be freed up to handle other important tasks. In either case, the operational efficiency of both FGD plants and gypsum processors is improved as is the quality of the final product. Text: Claas Boerger, Moisture Product Manager Whitepaper: Drying Oven vs. Halogen Moisture Analyzer This whitepaper compares the two different methods, drying oven vs halogen moisture analysis, and provides guidance to validate your method and ensure accurate moisture content. Go to whitepaper download METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4 7

8 UV/VIS Spectroscopy Speed Up Your UV/VIS Measurements Accurate Results within Seconds The new series of UV/VIS spectrophotometers from METTLER TOLEDO combines state-of-the-art optical technology with intuitive One Click user interface in a compact design to deliver accurate results within seconds. It is the ideal partner for optimizing your spectroscopic workflows and data management tasks to meet regulatory guidelines. Increased efficiency FastTrack technology enables instant instrument readiness and full spectrum scans within a second without jeopardizing accuracy. Reliable results FastTrack technology has been designed to meet your expectations regarding instrument performance. Be at ease that you get results you can trust. Simple operation Easy to learn and customizable to each user s needs the intuitive user interface guides you step by step and lets you start applications with only OneClick.

9 Automated performance verification Compliance with regulations has never been easier. CertiRef automatically verifies all performance parameters and generates a comprehensive report. Methods library Pre-defined METTLER TOLEDO methods are available and ready for use, or for adaptation to your specific application needs. Plug & Play accessories Select the right accessory for every application, from various sample holders to automation devices for increased operation performance. Connectivity with LabX Combine all analytical instruments from METTLER TOLEDO with a single powerful PC software, which allows full data and workflow management. ABC of UV/VIS Spectroscopy Guide A comprehensive 360 overview about UV/VIS theory, instrument technology and industry segment specific applications. A valuable guide to enlighten your view on UV/VIS spectroscopy.

10 Product Highlight Modular Titration Excellence Tailored to Your Needs The new generation of Titration Excellence builds upon the proven modular concept broadening the analyses offering with automated sodium analysis and coulometric Karl Fischer titration. Titration Excellence speeds up routine analyses by automating data transfer and making operation more intuitive thanks to the high-resolution touch screen. Start analyses with just OneClick and have confidence in your analytical results. Efficient data transfer A SmartSample reader is now a standard feature on all Excellence titrators. Wireless data transfer from balance to titrator on single and multiple titrations eliminates transcription errors. Secure routine operation StatusLight, the interplay of light and sound, supports routine operation with visual and acoustic signaling. Stay in touch with your titration from anywhere in the lab! Karl Fischer modularity Perform coulometric KF titration on all Titration Excellence instruments. The new coulometric module improves Bromine Index determination and requires no extra bench space METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4

11 Unattended, Representative Sampling Even in Extreme Conditions Sampling chemical reactions for offline analysis is standard practice. However, the sampling process is not always a precise operation and can be challenging with reactions at elevated temperatures or reactions where slurry exists. EasySampler 1210 was designed to eliminate these challenges with its automated and robust inline method of taking representative samples from reactions, even in extreme conditions. Representative samples The patented probe enables the capture and immediate quenching of reaction samples. This is particularly advantageous for monitoring low temperature and air sensitive chemistry. Heterogeneous reactions EasySampler captures reaction samples, including the solids, into a pocket of fixed volume. Solids dissolution begins immediately, delivering a dissolved sample for precise and accurate analytical data. Unattended 24/7 Samples are taken, quenched, diluted to a user-specified concentration and transferred to vials all at the simple the touch of a button. Sample sequencing can be programmed for unattended reaction sampling. METTLER TOLEDO Chemicals & Petrochemicals News 4 11

12 METTLER TOLEDO Service Effective Right Away with METTLER TOLEDO Service Take the stress-free route to instantly meet your productivity, quality and regulatory requirements. Rely on METTLER TOLEDO s trained experts when it comes to professional installation and operator instructions. METTLER TOLEDO Service offers competence and expertise in the following four areas: Installation Pacs Professional installation and configuration User familiarization Equipment qualification Calibration and Certificates Easily understandable and audit-proof certificates Internationally approved procedures Selected according to your requirements User Training Tailored to your needs Trained by the expert of the manufacturer Extended Care Extended warranty Preventive maintenance Priority technical assistance Mettler-Toledo GmbH Laboratory Division Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland For more information Local contact: