Linearity of Near-Infrared Spectra of Alkanes

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is used to monitor a large variety of process flow streams. Hydrocarbons with their strong and resolvable NIR spectral signatures are good candidate analytes. NIR has been exploited to monitor many chemical properties for optimal hydrocarbon utilization particularly for well-characterized flow streams of small variability for end users. The utility of NIR in the context of the production of hydrocarbon resources necessitates application over a much broader range of flow stream conditions. Here we examine the spectral impact of variable temperature, pressure, and composition to determine the robustness of NIR methods in upstream applications.