Uncategorized - KIN-TEK Analytical, Inc.

Law Enforcement Applications

January 2, 2016 by Danet Vrazel

Example Problem: Ion mobility spectrometers and other highly sensitivity detection systems can be used to locate the source for solvent and noxious or toxic vapors. Finding a significant source of solvent fumes in a residential area might, for example, indicate an illegal drug lab.

Solution: For many solvents, a KIN-TEK LFH Trace Source™ Refillable Permeation Tube can be used at ambient temperature as a test source to validate instrument operation. For more quantitative work, FlexStream™, 491Flex™ or portable Span Chek™ generators are used to generate the desired concentration(s).

Example Problem: Trace detection of explosive chemicals for airport security requires sensitive equipment that must be checked frequently with dopant standards. Validating instrument operation in the field is crucial. To do this, officers and security personnel need a ready source of test mixture.

Solution: KIN-TEK Trace Source™ dopant permeation tubes are used to validate instrument operation. KIN-TEK dopant permeation tubes are compatible with GE Trace Detection Systems, TSA airport security systems, etc. Dopants include Phosgene, DMMP, Phosphine, Arsine, Chlorine, HCN, etc.

Industrial Hygiene Applications

January 2, 2016 by Danet Vrazel

Problem: Work area safety – In the petrochemicaland refinery processing plants, workplace air is monitored for many toxic compounds to assure safe working conditions. Examples of these compounds include:

H₂S, SO₂, Cl₂, HCl, HF, NH₃, HCN

Additional compounds include Ethylene Oxide, Methyl Iodide, Benzene, Styrene, Acrylonitrile and Isocyanates (among others).

Area monitoring for these (and other) toxic compounds is typically performed by central monitoring systems and/or local sensors. Additionally, personal monitors, sorption tube samplers, and passive badges may be carried by operating personnel to track individual exposure during routine operation. These devices are all expected to read “zero”, or very near zero.

To assure continuous protection for personnel, the performance of these area monitors must be validated periodically as prescribed by OSHA guidelines. As a minimum, continuous monitors need a frequent “bump check” – applying a gas standard to assure that they are operational. All of the listed compounds are reactive, polar compounds. And gas cylinder standards of these compounds have very poor stability.

Solution: KIN-TEK’S Industrial Gas Standards Generator (Span Pac™ I series), Laboratory Gas Standards Generator (FlexStream and 491Flex), and Portable Gas Standards Generator (Span Chek™ series) are used to generate the required standards at the desired concentrations.

Span Pac™ or 491Flex™ systems are used with local area sensors. FlexStream™ or 491Flex™ instruments are used in the laboratory to test sorption tubes and passive monitoring badges used for personal monitoring. The Span Chek™ instrument is portable and can be used both in and outside of the lab.

Trace Source™ permeation tubes (both disposable and refillable) are used to create standards that are traceable to NIST. Because the standard is created on-site and used immediately, the stability problems inherent with gas cylinder standards are avoided. One Trace Source permeation tube can do hundreds of validations.

Military Applications

January 1, 2016 by Danet Vrazel

Example Problem: The growing threat of terrorism has led to major efforts to develop detection sensors and instruments to locate explosives and chemical and biological (CBW) weapons. These devices must detect ppb and ppt concentrations in a complex air matrix that may also be contaminated with a variety of industrial compounds. The Department of Defense and other government researchers need gas standards to evaluate the detectors being developed.

Solution: Using disposable and/or refillable permeation tubes, KIN-TEK’s FlexStream™ and 491Flex™ Gas Standards Generators can generate the required concentrations of some common explosives and a wide range of CBW precursors, degradation products and agents in complex matrices.

For many applications, KIN-TEK Trace Source™ dopant permeation tubes can be used directly to validate device operation. Dopants include Phosgene, DMMP, Phosphine, Arsine, Chlorine, HCN, etc.

For CBW, KIN-TEK licenses and trains surety lab personnel to fill and certify permeation tubes, making it possible for them to fill permeation tubes with CBW or other restricted compounds.

Also refer to quality control as related to military applications.

Petrochemical Applications

December 31, 2015 by Danet Vrazel

Example Problem: Impurities in polymerization grade Ethylene and propylene.

Ethylene and propylene producers are faced with product concerns. The most common impurities (see Table 1) are monitored both on-line for process control and in the laboratory for product quality.

Calibration and routine validation of these systems are primary issues. All of these chemicals are reactive and/or polar, and do not store reliably as static mixtures in cylinders. This makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to know the accuracy of the standards being dispensed by these cylinders.

Table 1
	COS	H₂S	Total Sulfurs	Ethylene
	Propylene	Arsine	CO	CO₂
	Acetylene	Methanol	Other Oxygenates	H₂O

Solution: KIN-TEK’s FlexStream™ and 491Flex™ Series Laboratory Standards Generator or Span Pac™ I Series Industrial Standards Generator provide calibration standards for all these compounds, using KIN-TEK’s NIST-traceable Trace Source™ disposable or refillable permeation tubes.

Benefits include:

The standards are generated fresh, eliminating the storage/deterioration problem inherent in gas cyclinders..
KIN-TEK’s permeation tubes improve the accuracy of the analysis.
Our instruments easily generate span gases for span checks or multi-point calibrations.

FlexLink™

October 11, 2015 by Danet Vrazel

KIN-TEK supplies a Windows® executable program named “FlexLink™” to setup, monitor and control the generation of multi-component concentrations with KIN-TEK’s FlexStream™ gas standards generator. The FlexLink program is provided on CD with shipment of each FlexStream instrument. (Note: FlexLink is not required in order to operate the FlexStream instrument.)

FlexLink communicates with the FlexStream using the industry standard Modbus RTU protocol over serial (RS-232) and/or Ethernet (TCP/IP) physical interfaces. FlexLink can also interface to RS-485 with addition of an RS-232 to RS-485 converter (not supplied).

The program continually reads data from the FlexStream, presents the data in various indicators on the PC computer, and allows the user, via the PC, to control the standby, zero and span functions of the FlexStream. Additional functions include viewing the FlexStream configuration, setting oven temperature setpoints and alarm limits, uploading and downloading permeation tube properties to/from the FlexStream and logging acquired data to files.

An added benefit of using Ethernet (TCP/IP) is that the FlexLink program can be run in another room, or even off site, for applications in which the operator needs to be removed from the gas standard generation function. Plus, while one PC may be controlling the FlexStream locally with an RS-232 serial link, another PC may be monitoring the FlexStream remotely via the Ethernet link.

In Figure 1, a target concentration of 1 ppm has been requested. Figure 2 shows the actual generated concentration results for eight permeation tubes that have been loaded into the FlexStream Base module. Figure 3 shows the logged data results.

Figure 1
Setting the Target Concentration

Figure 2
Generated Multi-component Gas Stream Concentrations

Figure 3
Data Log

FlexLink™ Software

October 11, 2015 by Danet Vrazel

Figure 1
Setting the Target Concentration

Figure 2
Generated Multi-component Gas Stream Concentrations

Distributors and Representatives