Dedicated carbon monoxide analyser added to gas measurement system

Hiden Analytical has launched its CO Analyser, a dedicated carbon monoxide (CO) analyser designed to work alongside the company’s mass spectrometry systems for quantitative CO measurement in complex gas mixtures.

The CO Analyser integrates with Hiden’s HPR-20 and QGA 2.0 Gas Analysis systems. While the mass spectrometer monitors other components in a gas stream, the CO Analyser provides dedicated CO measurement – an approach intended to help where nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and other species can otherwise complicate CO analysis.

In testing, the combined approach was applied to complex gas mixtures containing carbon dioxide, argon, methane and hydrogen alongside two different concentrations of CO. For a prepared mixture with a calculated 0.52 percent by volume CO, the CO Analyser measured 0.51 percent by volume. In a second mixture with a calculated 0.10 percent by volume CO, it measured 0.09 percent by volume. In both cases, the measured concentration was within 0.01 percentage points of the calculated value, while the mass spectrometer simultaneously tracked the other gas components.

Hiden said the results show close agreement between prepared and measured CO concentrations and illustrate how dedicated CO analysis can complement multi-component mass spectrometry when working with complex gas streams.

The company points to syngas research as one likely application, where CO and hydrogen are key components. By pairing the CO Analyser with mass spectrometry, it allows dedicated CO quantification alongside simultaneous monitoring of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and other gaseous species, supporting the study of gas composition and changes during reaction and process conditions.

The same combined approach may also support biogas and gas-conversion research, where multiple gaseous components can be present. Where CO is present or generated, the CO Analyser offers dedicated measurement while the mass spectrometer covers wider multi-species analysis.

CO can also be a significant reactant, intermediate or product in catalysis research, and Hiden said combining dedicated CO analysis with real-time mass spectrometry allows researchers to track changes in gaseous reactants and products as experimental conditions change.

The CO Analyser is designed for continuous analysis and is available with measurement ranges from 0–2,000 ppm to 0–100 per cent CO, depending on application requirements. It can be synchronised with Hiden’s mass spectrometer software, allowing CO measurements to be acquired and displayed alongside mass spectrometry data.

Hiden Analytical designs and manufactures quadrupole mass spectrometry systems for advanced research and process applications. Hiden instruments support gas analysis, catalysis, electrochemistry, plasma diagnostics, surface analysis, vacuum science and materials research worldwide.

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