mini-lab by spectra - unisalento.itdaqatlas/minilab/spectraminilab.pdf · mini-lab inlet assembly...

WW

W.M

KS

INS

T.CO

M

Mini-LabON-LINE GAS ANALYSIS FOR A WIDE VARIETYOF APPLICATIONS

Gas A

nalysis

Reading this data sheet on line?Click here for questions, price, and availability.http://www.mksinst.com/GasAnalysis.html?

http://www.mksinst.com/GasAnalysis.html

DescriptionMini-Lab offers the versatility of state-of-the-artquadrupole mass spectrometry in a convenient bench-top configuration. Mini-Lab systems are regularly used forthe identification and analysis of gases and gas mixturesincluding:

Trace contaminants in process gases; solvent vapors;inorganic gases (including corrosive species); freons;evolved and headspace gases and/or noble gases.

Continuous, on-line analysis can be used to track gasconcentrations over a wide dynamic range (ppb topercent levels) with a speed of up to 150 data points persecond. The inlet design ensures a rapid response tochanges in gas composition.

Features & Benefits• On-Line analysis of trace components in process

gases

• Specialty gas manufacturing

• Catalyst studies

• Fuel cell studies

• Gas scrubber exhaust monitoring

• Fermentation headspace analysis

• Heat treatment processes

• Solvent vapors emerging from carbon beds in thechemical industry

• Off-gas from pilot plant fermenters

• Membrane studies

• Glove-box gas monitoring

• Freon detection and identification

• Lamp manufacture

• Gas supply industry (cylinder checks)

• Environmental monitoring

• “Tandem Techniques” with ThermogravimetricAnalysis (TGA) or Differential Scanning Calorimetry

• State-of-the-art, bench-top quadrupole massspectrometer for gas monitoring at atmosphericpressure

• Fast response gas inlet design

• Intuitive, powerful "Process Eye 2000" softwareplatform

— Recipe driven with external triggers for fullyautomated operation, including automatedcalibration

— Flexible scanning (“bar chart”, analog” and “peak jump” scanning modes can be mixed andassociated with data trend displays)

— Intelligent, user-defined warnings and alarms

— Data displayed in relevant units (%, ppm, mg/m3,mbar etc.)

— Ability to read in data from other sensors usinganalog inputs

— Data buffer for quick on-line review of recent data

— Full data recall/review capability

• Modular design for ease of installation, serviceabilityand maintainability

• Optional multi-stream inlet with automated, PC-basedcontrol of sample line selection

Application Examples

Mini-Lab systems are manufactured from quality, fieldproven components, which maximize reliability anduptime. Mini-Lab systems are easy to use and install,featuring automatic start up and shut down routines.Careful consideration of service and maintenance issuesduring the design stage enables the user to carry outroutine maintenance with ease. Pumps and inletcomponents are easily accessible for preventativemaintenance and the replacement of consumable items(filaments, capillary etc.)



Quadrupole Analyzer

Quadrupole mass spectrometers are now widelyaccepted as the preferred solution to many atmosphericpressure gas analysis requirements. They offer fast, on-line analysis with the ability to monitor a large number ofdifferent gases and gas mixtures with a single analyzer.Gas concentrations can be monitored over a widedynamic range from ppb to percent levels.

At the heart of every Mini-Lab system is a precision-builtquadrupole analyzer incorporating a closed ion source, atriple mass filter and a dual (Faraday and SecondaryElectron Multiplier) detector system. The analyzerconfiguration is selected to optimize detection levelperformance and long term stability.

The Mini-Lab’s quadrupole analyzer operates inside astainless steel vacuum chamber, evacuated using a highcompression turbomolecular pump. This assembly ishoused inside an oven with a radiant heater, which canbe used to raise the temperature of the chamber and inletcomponents during analysis, or to bake the chamber tominimize background levels.

The oven has a removable cover allowing easy access tothe inlet interface, vacuum chamber and analyzer ionsource during routine maintenance or filament changing.A cold cathode gauge is also included for independentvacuum pressure measurement and to provide a tripsignal for protection of the mass spectrometer.

Internal View of Mini-Lab

Gas Inlet

An essential feature of any gas analyzer is that it shouldnot contaminate or alter the gas sample in any way. TheMini-Lab inlet assembly incorporates an inert glass linedcapillary, which can be heated to a constant temperature.The low volume and surface area of the assembly servesto maximize response speed while minimizing memoryeffects. Mini-Lab systems can be configured with inlets tosuit special application needs.

Process Eye 2000 Control Platform

Mini-Lab is operated using Process Eye 2000, a highlyflexible, 32-bit, modular application operating underMicrosoft® Windows NT® 4.0, 95, 98, Millennium or 2000.Designed with a “client/server” structure, Process Eye2000 includes TCP/IP protocol for full networkcompatibility.

Recipes are user configurable using the “Recipe Wizard”and are ideal for monitoring repetitive processes andanalyses. The recipes can be linked together to addressdifferent monitoring conditions or to facilitate automaticcalibration (using pre-defined calibration recipes). Thesingle button push (or external signal) initiation of aProcess Eye 2000 recipe eliminates the need for highlyskilled, full time operators. The flexibility of Process Eye2000 allows recipes to be configured that will:

• Define data acquisition and data display parameters,along with any on-line data processing required toconvert information into relevant units

• Display data in a simultaneous “bar chart/data trend”format, allowing the comprehensive investigation ofsignificant trend events

• Incorporate custom warnings and alarms, triggered orterminated when data highlights the fact that processconditions have deviated from normal conditions orfrom specific events (e.g. valves opening/closing)

• Monitor and display other parameters as trends inrelevant units (temperature, gas flow rate, power,pressure etc.) which are linked into the Mini-Labthrough its flexible analog and digital I/O

In addition, the Process Eye 2000 software platformallows Mini-Lab systems to:

• Monitor gas composition trends as well as other criticalparameters (temperature, flow rate etc.)

• Apply statistical limits to critical data for statisticalprocess control (SPC)

• Provide gas analysis reports when required

• Alert the operator to deviations from normal conditionsusing custom messages

• Perform calibration routines automatically



Many applications have a common requirement for a fast,on-line gas analyzer that is capable of monitoring avariety of gas species over a wide range ofconcentrations - all with a single sensor. The Mini-Labsystem meets these requirements, and has been used ina variety of applications, including:

On-Line Analysis of Evolved GasApplication examples:

• Catalyst studies

• Gas scrubber exhaust monitoring

• Fermentation headspace analysis

Mini-Lab systems are widely used in the study ofcatalysts and fuel cells. A key requirement of a gasanalyzer for such applications is that it should be able tomonitor a wide range of different species with a rapidresponse to real changes in gas composition.Furthermore, the analyzer should be able to access datafrom other sensors that are monitoring parameters criticalto the performance of the catalyst or fuel cell (gas flow,temperature etc.).

The capillary with bypass inlet design allows Mini-Lab torespond to changes in gas composition in less than onesecond. This inlet can be heated to 150°C so that samplespecies remain mobile and do not condense beforebeing analyzed. The inert nature of this inlet is alsoimportant for minimizing memory effects when more“sticky” polar gas molecules are encountered (e.g. H2O).The integral oven, standard in all Mini-Lab systems,allows the entire analyzer, vacuum chamber and inletinterface components to operate at an elevatedtemperature. Again, the purpose of this is to maximize themobility of gas species being analyzed and eliminatesample condensation.

Process Eye 2000 can be configured to access readingsfrom other sensors and synchronize these with gascomposition data. Furthermore, the dual bar chart/datatrend display allows important trend events to beinvestigated with instant cross-reference to all datarelevant to that particular moment in time.

Capillary Inlet —Silica-lined capillary inlet provides fast response to sample gas changeswith minimal memory effects

The Mini-Lab has addressed other applications wherethese features are equally valid. These include themonitoring of:

• Solvent vapors emerging from carbon beds in thechemical industry

• Gases evolving from gas scrubbers used in thesemiconductor industry

• Off-gas from pilot plant fermenters

On-Line Analysis of Trace Componentsin Process Gases

This group of applications is encountered throughout awide range of different industries and involves monitoringa process gas for contaminants that could damageproducts being manufactured by a particular process. Akey requirement of a gas monitor in such applications isthat it can generate alarms, which highlight the presenceand nature of a contaminant, while also indicating thelikely source. Such “intelligent alarms” can be configuredthrough the Mini-Lab’s Process Eye 2000 controlsoftware and can even include information on thesubsequent steps that should be taken to deal with thecontaminant. When coupled with Mini-Lab electronics,Process Eye 2000 provides flexible interaction with otherdevices, once an alarm condition has been triggered.Sub-ppm levels of contaminants can be measured andtheir levels displayed in units that are relevant to theapplication in question (%, ppm, mg/m3, mbar etc.).

Semiconductor fabs, speciality gas producers, thenuclear power industry, and heat treatment companiesroutinely use Mini-Lab systems to detect trace levelcontaminants in gases and gas mixtures. Some heattreatment companies processing components for theaerospace industry offer a technique called Hot IsostaticPress (HIP). It is often a requirement that certaincontaminants in argon are monitored throughout theprocess resulting in a final analysis report that indicateswhether critical levels have been exceeded. Mini-Labplays a vital role in quality assurance for companiesoffering this process.



Mass spectrometer systems are frequently used inconjunction with other analytical techniques in acomplementary manner. One such application is thermalanalysis, where the Mini-Lab is coupled with instrumentsfalling into one of two measurement categories,Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) or DifferentialScanning Calorimetry (DSC). Thermogravimetric Analysismeasures the change in mass of a sample versus timeand temperature while Differential Scanning Calorimetrymeasures the heats of reaction and phase changeswithin materials quantitatively. Both techniques can beused to study thermal stability, reaction rates, samplecomposition, kinetics of reaction and meltingtemperatures, as well as reaction mechanisms.

The primary requirement of Mini-Lab in thermal analysisand other similar “tandem techniques” is that it should beable to interface with the complimentary technique inseveral ways including:

• Inlet interface for effective sampling of gas species –The Mini-Lab heated capillary inlet can be terminatedwith a range of fittings for simple connection to manydifferent instruments

• Data collection interface – The Process Eye 2000control software allows data to be accessed from aseries of complimentary instruments and displayedalong with gas composition data

• Synchronization/control interface - Process Eyerecipes/data collection can be triggered from thecomplimentary instrument via digital or analog signalsor software interface depending upon facilitiesavailable

Companies involved in leading-edge studies ofpharmaceuticals, polymers, ceramics, composites, andcatalysts routinely use Mini-Lab systems incomplimentary analysis techniques. Flexibility inachieving an effective interface to these techniques iskey to the success and value of Mini-Lab in theseapplications.

Mini-Lab with Tube Furnace

Mini-Lab/Tube Furnace Inlet —When the Mini-Lab is interfaced to a tube furnace as an integratedsystem, the Mini-Lab is able to monitor evolved gas species andsynchronize the resulting data with furnace temperature.

Mini-Lab Data Display

The Mini-Lab system has also been used in a variety ofother applications, including:

• Membrane studies

• Glove-box gas monitoring

• Freon detection and identification

• Lamp manufacture

• Gas supply industry (cylinder checks)

• Environmental monitoring

Catalysis Study —Temperature programmed reaction of methane and steam over a supportednickel catalyst. Data courtesy of the University of Keele, Dept. ofChemistry



The Mini-Lab can be supplied with a multi-stream inletallowing the sequential analysis of gases from multiplelocations.

Available Options

Mulit-Stream Inlet Assembly

Worldwide Support and Customer Care

The MKS Instruments, Spectra Products Group isdedicated to the development and manufacture ofquadrupole RGA and optical spectrometer basedsensors for vacuum, process and gas analysis.

Mini-Lab systems are supported by a world-widecustomer care network, with manufacturing and supportcenters at many locations around the world.

Installation and training is offered with each Mini-Labsystem as well as maintenance contracts, which aregeared to the client’s needs and working environment.

Dimensional Drawing —Note: Unless otherwise specified, dimensions are nominal values in inches (mm referenced).



Specifications

Dimensions and Weight 410mm L x 710mm W x 410 mm H, 53 kg

Electronics 1-200 and 1-300 AMU standard1-100 AMU high performance optional1-6 AMU version available for “RGA for Windows” software driven systems only

Detection Limits Gas dependant, typically <100 ppb for non-interfering species

Electron Energy and Emission Current Operator variable

Maximum Operating Temperature 35°C, 80% RH (non-condensing)

(Turbo pump and electronics)

Oven Temperature 180°C for bakeout, 80°C setting for operation at elevated temperatures

(Vacuum chamber and inlet interface)

Capillary Inlet 2.0m long with ¼” Swagelok end connection, heated to 150°C

Gas Consumption 20ml/min

Sample Pressure 1 bar

Pumping System High compression turbomolecular pump with internal diaphragm backing pumpstandard

Other options available as required by application

Recommended PC Spec Pentium® II or equivalent; Microsoft® Windows® NT® 4.0, 98, Me, 2000* or XP*(*recommended)

Computer Interface 2x RS232 ports required

I/O Capability (Mini-Lab based) 4 analog inputs (0-10 volt, 16 bit)1 analog output (0-10 volt, 16 bit)16 TTL digital I/O1 opto-isolated filament control line

I/O Capability (PC based) Generic I/O card support for ISA slotsDT-302 I/O card support for PCI slots



Ordering Information

Please contact your local MKS office for price and availability information.

Bulletin Mini-Lab-6/03© 2003 MKS Instruments, Inc.All rights reserved.

Global Headquarters

Six Shattuck RoadAndover, MA 01810-2449

Tel: (978) 975.2350Tel: (800) 227.8766 U.S. onlyWeb: www.mksinst.com

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Spectra™ is a trademark of MKS Instruments, Inc., Andover, MA. Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are registeredtrademarks of Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, WA. Swagelok® is a registered trademark of Swagelok Marketing Co., Solon, OH.Pentium® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

MKS Spectra Products

70 Rio RoblesSan Jose, CA 95134

Tel: (408) 750.0300

MKS Spectra Products

Cowley Way, Crewe, CheshireCW1 6AG England

Tel: 44.127.025.0150



mini-lab by spectra - unisalento.itdaqatlas/minilab/spectraminilab.pdf · mini-lab inlet assembly...

Documents