Gas mixers are not a novel option for gas chromatography calibration, but they are more cost-effective than gas cylinders and becoming a more favorable option. Not only are pure gases cheaper to purchase than pre-mixed gases, but they offer numerous benefits that result in reduced costs and increased profitability. This blog post will look at why gas mixers are a more cost-effective solution compared to gas cylinders for GC calibration and other advantages.
What is GC Calibration?
Gas chromatography (GC) is an analytical method that separates and analyzes volatile compounds in a mixture. It is used for solid, liquid, and gas samples to identify chemical compounds and determine their presence or absence for applications such as quality control, research and development, and safety reasons. Gas chromatography is conducted with a GC instrument, but the equipment will eventually drift and produce unreliable readings without calibration. GC calibration ensures the accuracy, precision, and repeatability of results.
As we have already written an in-depth post about gas chromatography calibration, this introduction only provides a recap before we discuss the most cost-effective components in GC calibration.
Why are Gas Mixers More Cost-effective than Cylinders in GC Calibration?
A wide selection of advanced technologies can be used to detect, quantify and analyze different gases in numerous applications. From gas detectors and analyzers to environmental monitors, these instruments will all require calibrating to ensure they produce accurate results about what gas is present in an area. To accurately calibrate gas detectors and other gas instruments, gas mixers are a cost-effective and efficient method that outweighs the benefits of using gas cylinders.
Gas mixers are cost-effective for several reasons. Pure gases are cheaper to buy than pre-mixed cylinders of gas, and because you can hold more volumes of pure gas, there will be fewer rental and delivery costs than cylinders. Gas cylinders are filled with pre-mixed gases of a known concentration, but this won’t be suitable for every application. Any error with the mixture will result in problems such as a new delivery, waiting times, and additional costs.
Using a gas mixer allows for a wide range of gas mixtures for unlimited applications. They require less space than a gas cylinder and can be used flexibly in laboratories. Therefore, when GC chromatography is required, gas mixers create the exact mixture needed in-house and without lengthy waiting times.
To summarize, the key benefits of using gas mixers include the following:
- Can be setup for use with any gasses
- Control over mixtures and processes
- Flexibility
- High quality, accuracy and repeatability
- Lower costs
- Profitable
Mixers are cost-effective and reliable instruments that can be used to generate precise gas mixes that specifically suit your calibration requirements. They are manufactured in different configurations to provide options to various industries and applications, and manufacturers such as Environics can also develop custom machines.
Gas Chromatography with Environics
For over 20 years, Environics has supplied gas mixers to laboratories worldwide to support their gas chromatography applications. Environics gas mixers generate exact gas calibration standards and are also used for research purposes that require specific gas mixtures.
Series 4000 Multi-Component Gas Mixing System
Environics’ Series 4000 is a cost-effective gas mixing system used to produce gas calibration standards, gaseous atmospheres, or gas mixes for research. The Series 4000 must be linked to a computer via USB or Bluetooth and the easy-to-use application enables remote controlling, canister filling, and optional alarms. You can mix up to seven gases simultaneously, add additional gas circuits, and has a selection of operating modes depending on your applications.
Contact us today for more information on Environics’ gas mixers or gas chromatography calibration.
