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Improved Process Understanding Using Multiway
Principal Component Analysis
Authors:
Karlene A. Hoo1,
Kenneth S. Dahl2, and Michael J. Piovoso2
1Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
2Dupont Chemical Co., Wilmington,
DE
Abstract
Producing a uniform polymer by batch processing
is important for the following reasons: to improve the downstream processing
performance, to enable material produced at one site to be used by another, and
to remain competitive. Eliminating the sources of batch-to-batch variability and
tightening the control of key variables are but two ways to accomplish these
objectives. In this work, it is shown that multiway principal component
analysis (MPCA) can be used to identify major sources of variability in the
processing steps. The results show that the major source of batch-to-batch
variability is due to reactor temperature variations arising from disturbances
in the heating system and other heat-transfer limitations. Correlations between
the variations in the processing steps and the final product properties are
found, and recommendations to reduce the sources of variations are discussed.
Publication:
Ind. & Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 35, pp 138-146, 1996.
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