Integrated systems and processes for online monitoring of a chemical concentration in an ionic liquid

A process for monitoring a chemical concentration in a used ionic liquid, comprising:

• operating an integrated system, the integrated system comprising:
• a. an online Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) instrument with an Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) window;
• b. a sample conditioning station, placed upstream from the ATR window, that removes light hydrocarbons from the used ionic liquid and produces a degassed ionic liquid that is analyzed by the online FTIR instrument;
• c. a bypass line or an on-off valve, which stops a flow of the degassed ionic liquid to the ATR window;
• and
• d. a solvent flushing system that flows a solvent and a purging gas across the ATR window while the flow of the degassed ionic liquid is stopped by c);
• through the following steps:
• i) a normal operation, wherein the used ionic liquid is continuously or intermittently directed to the online FTIR instrument and then onto a larger ionic liquid stream for in-situ monitoring of the chemical concentration in the used ionic liquid by the online FTIR instrument;
• ii) a purging gas purge operation, wherein the used ionic liquid is stopped from flowing to the online FTIR instrument, and wherein a purging gas feed pushes residual used ionic liquid from the online FTIR instrument to a return vessel;
• iii) a solvent flushing operation, wherein the used ionic liquid continues to be stopped from flowing to the online FTIR instrument, the purging gas feed is directed to a fresh solvent reservoir and the solvent is pushed through the online FTIR instrument, and the solvent cleans out residues;
• iv) a drying purging gas purge operation, wherein the used ionic liquid continues to be stopped from flowing to the online FTIR instrument, a solvent flow is stopped, and the purging gas feed is directed across the ATR window and to a vent;
• v) a flushing-validation operation, wherein the used ionic liquid continues to be stopped from flowing to the online FTIR instrument, the purging gas feed is directed to a validation ionic liquid reservoir containing a validation ionic liquid, the validation ionic liquid is directed to the online FTIR instrument, and the validation ionic liquid verifies a cleanliness of the integrated system and a calibration of the online FTIR instrument;
• and
• vi) return to the normal operation.