CryoEase^® service – analytical market background

Analytical Markets

Modern laboratories require the use of increasingly sophisticated and
accurate analytical instrumentation. These instruments often require a gas supply and this is where the CryoEase^® service comes in. Our small tanks with their quick delivery systems provide a source of gas where and when it’s needed. Available in liquid argon, liquid nitrogen, or liquid oxygen, our liquid gas supply is ideal for a host of analytical gas applications, including purging and blanketing.

• ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) Spectrometers
  The sample is injected into a high temperature argon Plasma – the light emitted by the very hot atoms is analysed to determine the sample composition. Typically used for the analysis of metals in samples.
• ICP-MS Spectrometers
  The sample is also injected into a high temperature argon Plasma, but the atoms are then injected into a Mass Spectrometer. This technique is
  extremely sensitive and can analyse to lower levels than standard ICP.
• GC (Gas Chromatograph)
  A very common analytical technique used to analyse a wide range of gas and liquid samples. The sample is injected into the GC and is carried through the analyser by a carrier gas – typically helium or nitrogen.
• GC-MS
  A Gas Chromatograph with a Mass Spectrometer on the outlet - this
  technique is extremely sensitive and can analyse to lower levels than
  standard GC.
  
• Purging or blanketing
  Laboratories use nitrogen for a wide range of purging or blanketing applications usually to remove air contamination from systems or samples.

Markets

ICP and ICP-MS are used for the analysis of the composition of metal alloys, water (contamination and potability), fuels (determination of contaminants), food (beverages, tinned food, etc.), cement, rocks, sediments, other geological materials and biological samples (toxicology studies).

GC and GC-MS are used in most laboratories, but are particularly common in the Chemical, Petrochemical and Pharmaceutical Industries. They are used to check the quality of incoming raw materials and outgoing finished products, to control production processes and for Research and Development.