Process control savings through

These service providers hope to offer sponsors efficiencies and cost savings through the improvement of a specific study conduct responsibility. The major weakness in these services is that they lack management controls over the principal investigator, the research facility, and the investigative site personnel. These providers are essentially only enhancing a part of the total study conduct process and, therefore, have only a limited impact on the overall process. In addition, there is some criticism that these providers lack the ability to transfer efficiencies across projects. Each time a study is initiated, these providers must often reinvent the wheel. 

Measurement. The need for cost-effective pollution prevention, efficiency improvements, and emissions meastmement has created a need for new types of integrated control and meastirement systems. One of the best methods to improve environmental performance initially is to maximize efficiency through optimization in their manufacturing and energy processes. Many cement kilns now use continuous NOx measurement at the kiln exit to feed back information to the process control to optimize combustion. Capital costs are usually small, especially if PEM/ optimization software systems can be included at the time of a control system u rade. The increased operator awareness of the plant is a benefit, and fuel savings, qualify control, and maintenance planning can quickly pay back initial costs. 

Temperature-Controlled Residuiun Oil Supercritical Extraction (ROSE) The Kerr-McCee ROSE process has been used worldwide for over two decades to remove asphaltenes from oil. The extraction step uses a hquid solvent that is recovered at supercritical conditions to save energy as shown in Fig. 20-21. The residuum is contacted with butane or pentane to precipitate the heavy asphaltene fraction. The extract is then passed through a series of heaters, where it goes from the liquid state to a lower-density SCF state. Because the entire process is carried out at conditions near the critical point, a relatively small temperature change is required to produce a fairly large density change. After the light oils have been removed, the solvent is cooled back to the liquid state and recycled. 

One pass through this process at 400 psi results in 100% conversion of the benzene to cyclohexane with purity of about 99%. The economies compared to the traditional processing scheme come from energy savings and simple equipment. In addition, the catalyst circulation system lends itself to fine control since deactivated catalysts can easily be replaced on the fly without shutting down the system. 

The chemistry of the effect of formaldehyde in the tanning process probably is related closely to its action in the production of toxoids (6). This procedure was developed in the first part of this century mainly by trial and error and still thrives today. Toxins are treated with formaldehyde for several weeks at temperatures close to 40°C. This results in the toxin being changed in such a manner that it retains its capacity to elicit an immune response when injected into an animal or person but it lacks the capacity for the specific and damaging attack that is associated with the native toxin. Imprecise as this procedure seems today, the satisfactory results obtained through strict quality control have resulted in its continuing use and the production of many millions of doses of life-saving vaccines. However, more specific modifications should be available for such purposes from current research. 

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