Development of inherently safe and environmentally acceptable intelligent processing technologies for HTS materials Page: 4 of 15
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I. INTRODUCTION
A coordinated approach to research and technology development directed toward advanced
materials involves a number ol research dimensions that should be pursued in parallel. Some of the
general considerations that must be addressed in an integrated effort to develop new technologies
that are environmentally acceptable, inherently safe, and do not pose health risks are discussed in
this section.
Industry in this country is becoming increasingly aware of the cost of not maintaining high
levels of quality ano efficiency In the production of goods and materials. Those costs are evidenced
by lost markets, below-specificatlon products, and waste. These problems are endemic in our
industrial base, Including the materials processing, chemical, energy, and other manufacturing and
production-oriented industries. When all of the cost factors associated with the production of below-
specification products are listed according to significance, lack of understanding of current processes
and ineffective process control top the list. A recent report in Science (Vol. 232,19B6, p. 968),
adopted from a keynote address to the National Conference on the Advancenient of Research, states
that "Indeed, the process industries have been implementing higher and higher levels of control and
optimization for several decades. But as the industry has pursued the task, Its difficulties have
mounted, because it has such imperfect knowledge of Its processes. The need foi knowledge is most
acute in regard to main reaction pathways; mass transfer effects; operability phenomena like coking,
foaming, fouling, and agglomeration; and the failure modes of modern process plants. Better
knowledge could be the key to Increased yields, efficiencies, selectivity and safety."
The primary reason given for not understanding chemical processes Is the lack of reliable
chemical sensors and process analytical Instiumentation that can measure the concentration of raw
materials, products, Impurities, by-products, and effluents In real time. The reason Is that Industry
has not needed detailed process Information to be competitive In national and International markets.
However, this is no longer the case and the issue of national Industrial competitiveness has become a
recognized concern of our political leadership. We have the technical capabilities to automate and
control processes with considerable sophistication, but we do not have the real-time process
knowledge needed to know what adjustments to make.
Process chemistry Is by Its very nature a multidisciplinary field centered around physical
chemistry and chemical engineering, but requiring expertise in other fields including statistics,
electrical engineering, optical engineering, and materials science. It wll! be through synergistic
research In all of these areas that new methods for measuring the chemical composition of process
streams and a more thorough knowledge of reaction chemistry will be developed. Loc Alamos can
mount a successful program In process chemistry (e g., the Exploratory Research and Development
Center for high temperature superconductor materials processing) because It can develop and bring
together expertise In various technical areas which will Incorporate the above and other disciplines
These technical areas will Include: physical chemistry; chemical engineering; chemical diagnostics,
Instrumentation and sensor development; data acquisition and analysis; and process control,
feedback and adaptive learning. The ultimate goal of process understanding and advanced
diagnostics Is to provide real-time chemical measurements fcr Improved process control, leading to
safer, more efficient, and environmentally acceptable processes, Research in this field should go
beyond the traditional control strategies to Include control systems based on artificial Intelligence and
pattern recognition.
Our limited experience at Los Alamos with energy extraction processes in the late 1970's and
our continuing commitment to special nuclear materials processing suggests that enormous benefit
can be derived by Investigations at the Intersection of process research and environmental resoarch
and control Process research and development that Incorporates a health and environmental
dimension ensures that processes are optimized for both economic and environmental benefit
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Peterson, E. J.; Wangen, L. E.; Ott, K. C.; Muenchausen, R. E. & Parkinson, W. J. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)). Development of inherently safe and environmentally acceptable intelligent processing technologies for HTS materials, article, January 1, 1989; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1093994/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.