In-Line Moisture Determination in a Fluid Bed Dryer Using NIR

For many applications in industry, the fluid bed granulator/dryer is an integral point in the manufacture of materials. Residual moisture must be kept within certain specifications to avoid fracturing of particles or caking (stickiness) of the bulk material. Current methods are slow and cumbersome, which can lead to damaged or degraded products. The ability to monitor the residual moisture content in-line is possible with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy which can improve the process efficiency, yield, and overall product quality.

Join us as Yusuf Sulub, Analytical Science Manager at SABIC, and Andrew Tatsch, Product Manager for Process Analytics Spectroscopy at Metrohm USA, present a robust real-time, in-line determination of high rubber graft (HRG) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin moisture levels in a fluid bed dryer (FBD). They will discuss combining chemometrics and NIR spectroscopy to determine the moisture levels of HRG powders and explore how the calibration dataset was acquired from both offline and in-line FBD data to include dynamic process information.

Catch up with our experts during the live Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

Presenter: Yusuf Sulub (Analytical Science Manager, SABIC)

Yusuf Sulub is the Analytical Science Manager at SABIC. He’s been with SABIC for over 11 years and during his tenure has developed and deployed myriad of spectroscopic based process analytical solutions for both pilot and manufacturing scale applications.

Yusuf holds a double major BSc degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from University of Nairobi. Yusuf also holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Iowa and has over 20 years of experience in chemometrics and process analytical technology.

Presenter: Andrew Tatsch (Process Spectroscopy Product Manager, Metrohm USA)

Andrew Tatsch is the Product Manager for Process Spectroscopy at Metrohm USA in Riverview, FL. He has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. Andrew started with Metrohm in May 2022, and spent most of his previous career in R&D and product development of analytical instrumentation.