(New Orleans, LA, U.S.) ‒ Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies, Inc. is a major partner on a nearly $2 Million project led by Tulane University supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). This funding supports development of automated feedback control software for polymer production utilizing APMT’s instrumentation. APMT has developed an R&D system for continuous measurement and analysis of critical polymer properties during synthesis, ACOMP, used in this project. The system includes an integrated control interface software, a reactor with full reaction control features, and an integrated ACOMP system. The Tulane team has operated the APMT system, now available as a product, since installation in mid-2015. Prof. Romagnoli’s group at LSU is collaborating with the team on reaction control strategies.
Wayne F. Reed, the Tulane Principal Investigator said, “The complementary teams working on this project have led to exciting results beyond original expectations. The project is on course to achieve fully automatic control of polymerization reactions, including optimized process paths and molecular weight distribution targets before the end of 2016.”
Prof. Reed will be presenting initial results at DECHEMA’s 12th workshop on Polymer Reaction Engineering May 17-20, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany.
Dr. Dickson Ozokwelu, Technology Manager at US DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office said, “AMO supports the development of next generation manufacturing technologies for the future of manufacturing. This two-year project seeks to create a paradigm shift in how polymers are manufactured in the 21st century utilizing novel, analytical modeling and process control technologies.”
About APMT
Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies, Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes products and services for the real time monitoring, analysis, and control of polymer reactions, solutions, dispersions and suspensions across all synthetic and natural polymer sectors from R&D through high volume industrial production. For more information, please visit www.apmtinc.com.
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office support this project. AMO supports applied research, development and demonstration of new materials and processes for energy efficiency in manufacturing as well as platform technologies for the manufacturing of clean energy products.
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