Québec, Canada, March 9th 2009 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, is proud to launch its new pre-calibrated Refinery Hydrocarbons analyzer at PITTCON 2009 Expo in Chicago, IL.The MB3600-HP10 Hydrocarbons analyzer is pre-calibrated for blended gasoline, naphtha, reformate and diesel. It benefits from all the advantages of ABB’s new FT-NIR MB3600 spectrometer platform, which includes an exceptionally low maintenance requirement and extensive health monitoring for full instrument validation as well as ASTM E1421-99 (2004) performance monitoring and easy-to-use QA/QC workflow software.

ABB has been a world leader in FT-NIR analysis solutions for the hydrocarbon-petrochemical industry for many years. Its on-line process analyzers and laboratory analyzers allow refineries to achieve fast, on-target product quality release and realize process optimization benefits. ABB’s on-line analyzers supply real-time quality data for process unit and final blend optimization. This includes blended gasoline and diesel products and intermediate process conversion unit feeds and rundowns.

The MB3600-HP10 laboratory analyzer simplifies hydrocarbon sample determination in the laboratory. It comes with easy-to-use software and pre-calibrated analytical procedures. Additional custom calibrations can easily be developed for a wide range of products. ABB has developed manufacturing methods which ensure that all of its laboratory and process FT-NIR analyzers are highly stable, have a highly linear photometric response, and provide identical absorbance spectra. This guarantees calibration transferability from lab to process without any additional calibration effort or data manipulation.

The MB3600-HP10 Laboratory Hydrocarbons Analyzer is not only a valuable and reliable laboratory analyzer in its own right, it also allows custom calibration model development for on-line hydrocarbon process optimization. ABB’s world-renowned range of on-line and laboratory FT-NIR analyzers provide guaranteed transferability of calibration models between laboratory and process applications

The robust, stable FT-NIR analyzer platform allows rapid project start-up for on-line process optimization projects through fast-track method development in the laboratory. Pre-installed with a set of functional calibration models for gasoline, diesel, reformate and naphtha and including a robust sample cell for hydrocarbons, it is also adaptable for a wide range of accessories including liquid flow cells, sample flow pumps and sample cell temperature control. ASTM compatible accuracy and precision guaranteed for both pre-installed calibration models and ABB custom developed models.

ABB Analytical Business Unit, located in Quebec City, designs, manufactures and markets high-performance FT Mid-IR/Near-IR analytical system solutions and spectrometers for Petroleum, Chemical, Life Science, and Remote Sensing/Aerospace markets. The company also markets analyzers for hydrogen and inclusion measurement in liquid aluminum. More information is available at www.abb.com/analytical.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 119,000 people. In Canada, (www.abb.ca), ABB employs over 1,800 people in 24 locations from coast to coast.

ABB Inc.

Analytical Business Unit

Dr Michael B Simpson

Industry Manager,

Process FTIR for Refining and Petrochemicals,

Email: mike.b.simpson@gb.abb.com