Process Analytical Technology: What Is It?

Many industries are realizing the need for better process control. Retailers want their stores to be better run, and manufacturers want to ensure that they have quality products on the market. One way of achieving this goal is through utilization of Process Analytical Technology (PAT).

What is PAT? PAT involves a wide variety of analytical techniques, including chromatography, spectroscopy, and electrochemical analysis. The methods can be used to detect contaminants in water or other fluids or even help determine the sterility of a product's packaging. Using these techniques can help companies improve their manufacturing processes as well as gain insight into what needs improvement.

PAT may seem like a complicated topic, but it is not as hard to understand as many people assume. Those new to the field can become acquainted with PAT by taking a few simple steps:

Read an introductory book on PAT. Learning more about PAT will require that you get your hands dirty; this guide will help you get started. ParaChem is a good place to start. Read one of the industry journals that cover PAT issues, such as Manufacturing Engineering or Spectroscopy and Identification. These journals feature reports on PAT research and news of what's happening in the field. Take an introductory course in PAT at your local college or university. Your company will likely be willing to pay for the course, since it will get the employees up to speed faster and allow them to work more efficiently. Attend a conference on PAT. Conference attendees hear talks on current issues and developments in PAT; they also learn from industry leaders who explain how they put these techniques into practice. These meetings can be very helpful in offering an introduction to the field.

Once you've attended a conference or taken an introductory course, you'll have a better idea of what PAT is all about. You may even discover unexpected applications for these analytical technologies that can make your job easier and improve your company's bottom line.

Quick Links

These links will lead you to articles that will give you more information about Process Analytical Technology:

Process Analytical Technology

The link below will lead you to the entire journal series written on Process Analytical Technology. You can find these in the references area. Some of these references are listed below or you can go to the full Journal List. As with all journals, some may not be included.  ParaChem is included in this list, but from time to time we do include other references when they are more appropriate.  This is a list of only 30 volumes from this series and others that may appear in the future.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126

Included below is a list of the major areas involved in Process Analytical Technology with additional guidance links where you can learn more about each area.  These links are only to very specific topics and give good guidance as to what is needed in each area.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126

There are three general areas that make up Process Analytical Technology:  Analytical Chemistry, Data Collection, and Data Analysis(things like chromatography, spectroscopy, electrochemical). These three main areas can be further broken down into 19 distinct areas of study.  Each area has its own information, guidance and references needed for that area.

For example, Spectroscopy is one of the three main areas of PAT.  There are a number of related areas in this field from UV-Vis to Mass Spectrometry to NMR (and more).  Each of these related areas will have their own guidance and references to get you started in that area.  So without further ado...

Process Analytical Technology - All 19 Areas

Analytical Chemistry -   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_chemistry Data Collection -   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis Data Analysis -   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_analysis

Analytical Chemistry – This category contains all of the analytical disciplines used in Process Analytical Technology.

This category contains over 60 references, with more being added as they are published.  Many of these references are part of peer-reviewed journals that are referenced throughout this site.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_chemistry

Data Collection – This category contains the methods and techniques to capture the data from the analytical instruments and to properly format it for presentation or analysis purposes.

This category contains 1,466 references, with more being added as they are published.  Many of these references are part of peer-reviewed journals that are referenced throughout this site.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis

Data Analysis – This category contains the methods and techniques to analyze the collected data from the analytical instruments and to properly present what is being analyzed on a graphical or numeric format for presentation or analysis purposes.

This category contains 1,500+ references, with more being added as they are published.  Many of these references are part of peer-reviewed journals that are referenced throughout this site.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis .

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 .

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 .   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-Analytical_chemistry http://enwikibooks.org/wiki/Analytical_Chemistry .   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis .   http://www.chemguide.co.uk/analytical/

Equipment and Software

Data Collection – Also, in this category the equipment and software to capture the data and to format it for presentation or analysis purposes is presented and discussed.. This section also includes the proper ways to interpret spectra, such as NMR, IR (etc.) results  and more..

This category contains over 50 references, with more being added as they are published.  Many of these references are part of peer-reviewed journals that are referenced throughout this site. http://www.sciencedirect.

Conclusion

In summary, this PAT web site contains information and links to information and articles that will help you learn how to properly collect data and interpret the collected data.  The links below are just a few of the articles that can help you in your journey into Process Analytical Technology:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 . http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 .

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10991126 . http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ journal /10991126 . http://www.sciencedirect.