Monitoring resin viscosity is crucial to producing quality product.
The common method for monitoring product viscosity and acid number is for an operator to draw samples from the reactor at regular intervals. These samples are then sent to the laboratory for analysis. After receiving an analytical result that matches the value specified in the operating procedures, the operator proceeds to the next processing step. The analytical results are usually available 15-30 minutes after sampling. Because the reaction continues during this time interval, the analytical results are not representative of the actual product inside the reactor. Because this method is inconsistent, the produced resins vary significantly between batches.