Boost efficiency in the QC laboratory: How NIRS helps reduce costs up to 90%

Significance of the Topic

Comprehensive QC/QA reduces internal and external failures that can cost 10–30% of turnover.
Time and reagent costs of traditional methods drive interest in rapid NIR spectroscopy, which can cut QC costs by up to 90%.

Objectives and Study Overview

This white paper presents the advantages of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in QC labs, demonstrating cost savings, efficiency improvements, and case studies across chemical, polymer, and petrochemical industries.

Methodology

NIRS measures absorbance of 800–2500 nm light by functional groups (e.g. –CH, –OH) in less than one minute without sample preparation.

Instrumental Setup

The Metrohm DS2500 NIRS analyzer with dedicated spectroscopy software enables rapid, non-destructive measurements in the 800–2500 nm range with minimal operator training.

Key Results and Discussion

Implementation of NIRS yields ROI in under one year. For 10 analyses/day, annual running costs drop from ~$58,000 to <$500.
Case studies:

• Chemicals (Polyols): Hydroxyl value, acid value, and moisture determined in <30 s with precisions of ±0.68, ±0.38 mg KOH/g, and ±52 mg/L.
• Polymers (PET): Diethylene glycol, isophthalic acid, intrinsic viscosity, and acid number measured with precision of 0.066–0.143 units.
• Petrochemicals (Gasoline): RON, MON, olefins, oxygen, aromatics, and density analyzed with precision suited to compliance and cost optimization.

Benefits and Practical Applications

NIRS accelerates QC workflows by eliminating sample prep and multiple assays, reduces reagent consumption, enhances operator throughput, and maintains regulatory compliance.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Integration with digital QC networks, online process control, and advanced chemometric models will expand the scope of NIRS to real-time monitoring and broader industrial applications.

Conclusion

Deploying NIRS in QC laboratories delivers sustainable efficiency gains and cost reductions up to 90% while preserving analytical reliability and precision.

References

• Why Improving Quality Leads to Lower Manufacturing Costs, QualityInspection.org
• Metrohm Application Note NIR-035: Hydroxyl Number in Liquid Polyols
• Metrohm Application Note NIR-023: Diethylene Glycol, Isophthalic Acid, Intrinsic Viscosity, and Acid Number in PET