In the world of Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), the choice of collision gas plays a pivotal role in the accuracy and reliability of analytical results.
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LNI Swissgas addresses the evolving needs of laboratories with its cutting-edge NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ Nitrogen Generator, specifically designed for collision gas applications in LC-MS.
In this blog, we delve into five compelling reasons why this nitrogen generator stands out and why it should be your preferred choice.
- The collision gas option has been developed years ago and was successfully launched in
- More than 50 units with the option collision gas are running successfully all around the world
- Integrated option in the generator, no extra additional machine or cylinder required
- High constant purity of nitrogen – 99.999% Nitrogen at 200cc/ min
- Exclusive patented features that warranty energy and maintenance savings
Find out more in this brochure ⤵️
Learn more about our NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ series with the Collision Cell Gas option to supply LC-MS instruments:
- On-Demand Nitrogen Generation: The NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ offers a revolutionary on-demand nitrogen generation solution, eliminating the reliance on traditional gas cylinders. This ensures a continuous and reliable supply of collision gas, significantly reducing downtime associated with cylinder changes and enhancing overall laboratory efficiency.
- High Purity for Precise Analyses: Achieving high purity is paramount for collision gas applications in LC-MS. The CASTORE XL iQ is engineered to consistently produce ultra-pure nitrogen, ensuring the accuracy and precision required for complex analytical processes. This guarantees the integrity of your analytical results, even in the most demanding applications.
- Cost-Effective Operation: Laboratories often grapple with the costs associated with purchasing, transporting, and managing gas cylinders. The NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ Nitrogen Generator offers a cost-effective alternative by producing nitrogen on-site. Over time, this not only leads to significant cost savings but also enhances the overall economic viability of the laboratory.
- Adaptable to Varied Configurations: Laboratories have diverse setups and configurations, and the NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ is designed to accommodate these variations. Its adaptability allows seamless integration into different LC-MS systems, providing a flexible solution that meets the specific needs of your laboratory without compromising on performance.
- Advanced Monitoring and Control Features: The NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ comes equipped with advanced monitoring and control features, empowering users with real-time insights into the generator’s performance. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also allows for proactive maintenance, ensuring the system operates at its peak capabilities.
Conclusion
The LNI Swissgas NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ Nitrogen Generator redefines the landscape of collision gas supply for LC-MS applications. With its on-demand generation, high purity, cost-effective operation, adaptability, and advanced monitoring features, this nitrogen generator is a game-changer for laboratories seeking to elevate their analytical capabilities.
Make the smart choice for your laboratory—choose the NG(A) CASTORE XL iQ for reliable, efficient, and cost-effective collision gas generation in your LC-MS workflows. As analytical demands continue to evolve, this nitrogen generator positions your laboratory at the forefront of innovation and precision in mass spectrometry.
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Generating nitrogen in-house
Nitrogen is the vehicle that allows oxygen to sustain life on our planet. But, due to a range of characteristics that make it ideal for many industrial applications, it does much more than “merely” keep us alive. The most important of its features is that nitrogen is an inert gas, which means that it is slow to react with other substances. That makes it ideal for any application in which slow oxidation (e.g. the corrosion of circuit boards in the electronics industry) or fast oxidation (e.g. explosions or fires) have to be prevented. In addition, it is odorless and colorless, which means nitrogen is an ideal medium to be used in the food and beverage industries – for example to extend the expiration date of food products. As a result of these properties, it is no surprise that nitrogen is in constant demand in many sectors – from the automotive and chemical industries to aquaculture and injection molding.
Nitrogen: the world’s most abundant gas
Fortunately, nitrogen is available in abundance, making up most of the air we breathe. But that does not mean that it is ready for use in all of the aforementioned industrial applications as well as many others. Nitrogen can be obtained in three ways. Companies can either lease an on-site nitrogen tank, have the gas delivered in high-pressure bottles, or generate their own. Many businesses quickly realize that the first two options, which rely on a third-party supplier, are inconvenient, inefficient and costly. Fortunately, there are ways for them to generate their own nitrogen and control the amount, purity and pressure for any application – and guarantee that they have an endless supply of nitrogen available around the clock.
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Thus, generating nitrogen in-house enhances production flexibility and, since there is no third-party supplier involved, it eliminates constant order processing, refills and delivery costs, and frees up space otherwise needed to store nitrogen bottles.
How does a nitrogen generator work
Essentially, this is how a nitrogen generator works: it separates nitrogen molecules from the oxygen molecules within compressed air, resulting in a purified supply of nitrogen. Generating nitrogen can be done with a membrane nitrogen generator or a PSA (pressure swing adsorption) nitrogen generator connected to a compressor. But which technology to use? Well, it depends on the nitrogen quality you require. If, for example, you just need to inflate tires or use nitrogen to prevent/suppress fires, then a low nitrogen purity level of 90-99% and a membrane nitrogen generator will suffice. However, a PSA nitrogen generator is required when you have to achieve very high purities of 99.999% or 10 PPM (parts per million) and even higher – for example in the food industry or for plastic molding.
In addition to allowing companies to control how much nitrogen they want to produce with how much pressure and which degree of purity, generating the gas themselves has other benefits. They are no longer subject to price fluctuations on the market, save transport costs, and prevent delays. In addition, businesses generating their own nitrogen do not have to face the safety hazard that come with handling high-pressure cylinders, they incur no waste related to boil-off losses or have to return high pressure bottles that can never be fully emptied. Over time, the initial investment for a nitrogen generator pays off because operating costs are kept significantly lower compared to getting nitrogen from a third party.
Watch this video to learn more about nitrogen
Membrane nitrogen generators
This technology separates air into component gases by passing inexpensive compressed air through semipermeable membranes consisting of bundles of individual hollow fibers. Each fiber is very small, has a perfectly circular cross-section and a uniform bore through its center. At one end of the module, compressed air is introduced into the fibers and contacts the membrane as it flows through the fiber bores. Oxygen, water vapor and other trace gases easily permeate the membrane fiber and are discharged, but nitrogen is contained within the membrane and flows through the outlet port. Because water vapor permeates through the membrane, the nitrogen gas stream is very dry, with dewpoints as low as -50°C (-58°F).
Membrane technology is simple and efficient, with compact, all-in-one units that require little maintenance and have zero operational costs. It’s ideal for applications where the required flow of nitrogen is relatively low and purity levels do not exceed 99%. Membrane technology has a lower initial investment than high flow/high purity technologies such as Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA).
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) nitrogen generators
Adsorption is the process in which atoms, ions or molecules from a substance (compressed air in this case) adhere to a surface of an adsorbent. A PSA generator isolates nitrogen, and the other gases in the compressed air stream (oxygen, CO2 and water vapor) are adsorbed, leaving behind essentially pure nitrogen. PSA traps oxygen from the compressed air stream when molecules bind themselves to a carbon molecular sieve. This happens in two separate pressure vessels (tower A and tower B), each filled with a carbon molecular sieve, that switch between a separation process and a regeneration process.
Clean and dry compressed air enters tower A. Since oxygen molecules are smaller than nitrogen molecules, they pass through the pores of the sieve. Nitrogen molecules cannot fit through the pores, so they bypass the sieve resulting in nitrogen of desired purity. This phase is called the adsorption or separation phase. Most of the nitrogen produced in tower A exits the system, ready for direct use or storage.
Next, a small portion of the generated nitrogen is flowed into tower B in the opposite direction. This flow pushes out the oxygen that was captured in the previous adsorption phase of tower B. By releasing the pressure in tower B, the carbon molecular sieves lose their ability to hold the oxygen molecules, which detach from the sieves and get carried away by the small nitrogen flow coming from tower A. This ‘cleaning’ process makes room for new oxygen molecules to attach to the sieves in a next adsorption phase.
PSA technology enables continuous, high-capacity nitrogen flow in demanding applications at purity levels up to 99.999%. PSA generators have a higher initial investment cost than membrane generators, but they offer the advantages of higher flow and higher purity levels that some industries and applications demand.
Ask an air system professional about the best solution for generating nitrogen in-house.
Related topics
How a PSA nitrogen generator works
To achieve high nitrogen purity, molecules are separated within a clean, dry compressed air stream. A PSA nitrogen generator allows you to do this in-house.
Nitrogen gas generator in the food industry
Companies that generate their own nitrogen in-house with a nitrogen gas generator enhance production flexibility by ensuring they have the nitrogen they need, at the level of purity they need, when they need it.
How Nitrogen gas is generated in the pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceutical companies that require a reliable source of high purity nitrogen can benefit by generating their own nitrogen in-house to reduce cost while controlling quality and boosting efficiency
How a Nitrogen generator is used in manufacturing companies
Manufacturers that require a reliable source of high purity nitrogen can benefit by generating their own nitrogen in-house to reduce cost while controlling quality and boosting efficiency
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