Aspectrics, a leading supplier of encoded photometric infrared (EP-IR) spectroscopy analysers has received a fifth US patent for its EP-IR disc technology and associated optics. Having spent money and resources in support of Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Permit applications, and having waited anxiously for determination of permits; many operators throughout all walks of industry and manufacturing are now breathing a sigh of relief that the PPC nightmare is coming to a close. Solvents such as acetone, methylethyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran are commonly used as reaction media and for extracting products in the pharmaceutical, speciality chemicals and fragrance industries. For various reasons, there is an increasing interest in recovering solvents, as well as in related tasks such as monitoring oxygen concentrations so as to minimise the use of purge gases. ExxonMobil Chemicals operates an ethylene plant at Mossmorran in Scotland which uses a feedstock of ethane, propane and butane supplied by an adjacent natural gas processing plant. prev