Marietta, OHSulfones
Udel® PSU · Radel® PPSU
Sulfone polymers for membranes, fluid handling and high-heat parts.
reaction progress in solution, solvent streams
Specialty Polymers · Alpharetta, GA
Seven plants, one measurement layer.
Alpharetta is the North American headquarters and research and innovation (R&I) center for Specialty Polymers. The chemistries it manages run from fluoropolymers in Texas and New Jersey to sulfones in Ohio and PEEK and PPA in Georgia. Inline means the probe sits in the process itself: Spectrally X1 INLINE reads a Raman spectrum there about every 5 seconds, and a model built in the lab is the starting point at the plant.
~5 s per readingOne software layer, lab to lineLiquids, slurries, powdersValues to your control system
One spectrum, many chemistries
What a Raman spectrum carries across the portfolio.
- Reaction progressFor chain-growth fluoropolymers, the C=C band of the monomer; for polycondensation, bands of the reacting end groups and the growing backbone.
- CompositionCopolymer balance and blend ratios from bands of the units themselves.
- Solvent streamsSolvents in reaction, wash and recovery streams are strong Raman scatterers.
- Grade fingerprintPellets and powders checked against their reference spectrum at-line.
Models move between Spectrally X1 LAB in the lab and X1 INLINE at the plant on one software layer, and are retrained on production data at the line.
Site
Alpharetta, Georgia
4500 McGinnis Ferry Road. North America HQ and R&I center.
Portfolio
Specialty Polymers
Fluoropolymers, sulfones, PEEK, PPA, PAI, PPS and LCP.
US plants
Seven sites
Augusta, Marietta, West Deptford, Orange, Greenville, Borger and Newark.
Where Raman fits
Lab to line
The same analyzer family and software in R&I and in production.
01The portfolio
The polymers your US plants make.
Each chemistry carries its own bonds, and each leaves its own signature in a Raman spectrum. The line under each card is what a feasibility study would look at first.
Marietta, OH
Augusta, GAPEEK
KetaSpire® PEEK
PEEK resin and compounds, alongside the DCDPS monomer for the sulfone family.
wash and solvent streams, lot fingerprint
Augusta, GAPPA
Amodel® PPA
Polyphthalamide resins and compounds for automotive and electrical parts.
compound fingerprint, at-line
Greenville, SCPAI
Torlon® PAI
Polyamide-imide base resins and compounds for parts that replace metal.
reaction progress, powder fingerprint
Orange, TXECTFE
Halar® ECTFE
Pellets and powders for linings, coatings, wire and cable.
grade identity, copolymer balance
West Deptford, NJPVDF · FKM
Hylar® PVDF · Tecnoflon®
PVDF and fluoroelastomers, made without fluorosurfactants since 2021.
composition of latex and downstream streams
Product images: Syensqo.
02Seven plants
One measurement layer across the US footprint.
Augusta, GAKetaSpire® PEEK, Amodel® PPA and DCDPS monomer; compounding of Amodel®, KetaSpire® and Ryton®
Marietta, OHUdel® PSU and Radel® PPSU
West Deptford, NJHylar® PVDF and Tecnoflon® FKM
Orange, TXHalar® ECTFE
Greenville, SCTorlon® PAI base resins and compounds
Borger, TXRyton® PPS
Newark, DEAjedium™ films
03From R&I to the plant
A model built in the lab is the starting point at the line.
1
Spectrally X1 LAB in R&I
Spectra and models built on development samples, next to the methods your labs already run.
2
One software layer
Models move between Spectrally X1 LAB, X1 PORTABLE and X1 INLINE on Spectrally OS, logged and versioned, and are retrained on production data.
3
Spectrally X1 INLINE in production
The probe in the vessel or line, values to the DCS over Modbus, a record per lot.
04The lab loop
Production keeps running while the sample is in the lab.
Molecular weight by GPC/SEC, and residual monomer by GC in chain-growth processes, are the usual lab checks. Both describe the moment the sample was drawn.
GC and GPC/SEC
30–120min
GC for residual monomer typically takes 30 to 60 minutes per pulled sample, GPC/SEC for molecular weight 60 to 120. The result describes the moment of the draw.
Spectrally X1 INLINE
~5s
The probe reads the medium where it is placed and sends the values to the control system. GPC/SEC keeps chain length; composition and progress readings move to the line.
Per reading
~5s
From spectrum to a process value. Acquisition time is configurable from 5 to 300 s.
Reagents
0
Routine operation runs without reagents or consumables. Rated laser lifetime is a minimum of two years.
Channels
2
Two measurement points per cabinet as standard, with more on request.
To the line
5.5mo
Typical time from the first workshop to a running installation: 3 to 5.5 months.
05Who this is for
Four desks in Alpharetta, one measurement layer.
Each page of this site answers the question one of them asks first.
R&D leadership
Take a model from development to the plant.
A model built on development samples in R&I is the starting point on the plant analyzer and is retrained on the first campaigns, so process knowledge from the lab travels with the product.
- X1 LAB and X1 INLINE on one software layer
- Models versioned and logged
- A feasibility study on your samples in about 4 weeks
Process & material technologies
Process values where the chemistry happens.
Raman reads reaction progress, composition and solvent content from bands of the molecules themselves, with a hybrid of neural networks and classical chemometrics calibrated on your samples.
- One model per value, checked against your reference method
- Liquids, suspensions and slurries up to 16 bar and +125 °C
- Powders and granulates in a dedicated configuration
Product & asset management
One measurement layer across seven plants.
The same analyzer family, software and record format at each site make lots comparable over time and plants comparable on one record format.
- The same record format at every site
- Two measurement points per cabinet as standard
- 3 to 5.5 months from workshop to a running point
Supply chain, Americas
A composition record with every lot.
Each lot carries its own record from the run, which shortens the path from a customer question to an answer.
- Time-stamped values per lot
- CSV, PDF or raw-spectrum export
- Lab methods stay the reference for the certificate
Aleksandra Łukasiewicz
Head of International Sales
Hope you find it interesting. Please contact us and talk about our analysis in detail.
a.lukasiewicz@gekkophotonics.com+1 804 593 0282