On-line monitoring of methanol and methyl formate in the exhaust gas of an industrial formaldehyde production plant by a mid-IR gas sensor based on tunable Fabry-Pérot filter technology

On-line monitoring of key chemicals in an industrial production plant ensures economic operation, guarantees the desired product quality, and provides additional in-depth information on the involved chemical processes. For that purpose, rapid, rugged, and flexible measurement systems at reasonable cost are required. Here, we present the application of a flexible mid-IR filtometer for industrial gas sensing. The developed prototype consists of a modulated thermal infrared source, a temperature-controlled gas cell for absorption measurement and an integrated device consisting of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer and a pyroelectric mid-IR detector. The prototype was calibrated in the research laboratory at TU Wien for measuring methanol and methyl formate in the concentration ranges from 660 to 4390 and 747 to 4610 ppmV. Subsequently, the prototype was transferred and installed at the project partner Metadynea Austria GmbH and linked to their Process Control System via a dedicated micro-controller and used for on-line monitoring of the process off-gas. Up to five process streams were sequentially monitored in a fully automated manner. The obtained readings for methanol and methyl formate concentrations provided useful information on the efficiency and correct functioning of the process plant. Of special interest for industry is the now added capability to monitor the start-up phase and process irregularities with high time resolution (5 s).Austrian research funding association (FFG) COMET753761

Small animal models

Animal assays represent an important stage between in vitro studies and human clinical applications. These models are crucial for biomedical research and regenerative medicine studies, as these offer precious information for systematically assessing the efficacy and risks of recently created biomaterials, medical devices, drugs, and therapeutic modalities prior to initiation of human clinical trials. Therefore, selecting a suitable experimental model for tissue engineering purposes is essential to establish valid conclusions. However, it remains important to be conscious of the advantages and limitations of the various small and large animal models frequently used for biomedical research as well as the different challenges encountered in extrapolating data obtained from animal studies and the risks of misinterpretation. This chapter discusses the various small animal model strategies used for osteochondral defect repair. Particular emphasis will be placed on analyzing the materials and strategies used in each model.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(IF/00423/2012)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio