Applications of near-infrared spectroscopy in refineries and important issues to address

Abstract

This review primarily concerns NIR ( near-infrared) applications in refineries. Initially, this article reviews the fundamental aspects for analysis of hydrocarbon mixture by NIR spectroscopy, such as spectral sensitivity in various spectral regions, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectral resolution. Though there are applications of NIR to diverse petroleum products, this review subsequently focuses only on applications to four major products: gasoline, diesel, naphtha, and crude oil, which are the most interesting from a refiner's viewpoint. In each application, discussion of important issues to consider for proper and optimal NIR measurement is included. Finally, the issue of calibration transfer is discussed.