ABSTRACT
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is attractive for use in the petrochemical industry because it measures the overtone and combination bands predominately of the C−H stretches. This fact alone was responsible for the early use of NIR, before the widespread use of computers, in measuring petrochemicals, where Ellis measured over 40 organic liquids including many petrochemicals [1]. One great advantage in using NIR spectroscopy is that the instrumentation can be separated from volatile solutions using inexpensive fiber optics. Also, the method is relatively rapid and noninvasive. For these reasons, NIR spectroscopy has been used in what many would consider a mature and well-characterized industry to further enhance production and safety. Oil has been gathered (in the case of the early Pennsylvania oil field) or pumped for decades. The ability to refine the components into lubricants and fuels was known in the earlier part of the twentieth century. Recent advances in NIR spectroscopy have made it a valuable tool in the refining process and in the safety of the industry.
Oils have been converted into fuel for centuries. With the first discovery of oil naturally seeping into ponds and rivers in Pennsylvania, the petrochemical industry grew rapidly. With the discovery of
