New Humidifier Accessory from Markes Set to Improve Analysis of Chemical Emissions from Materials
12 Jun 2014
Markes International (Llantrisant, UK), a world leader in instrumentation for trace organic analysis, has announced the launch of a Humidifier Accessory, which extends the capability of their Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor™ by supplying it with humidified air or gas.
Markes’ Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor has gained popularity over recent years as a versatile tool for rapidly sampling volatile organic vapors released from everyday products such as toys, car trim and construction materials, or odor profiles from foods and cosmetics.
Now the capability of the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor has been further extended by the release of the Humidifier Accessory, which supplies the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor with air or gas at up to 50% relative humidity.
Dr Caroline Widdowson, Material Emissions Applications Specialist at Markes, said “The availability of a regulated supply of humidified air or gas means that chemical emission profiles can now be obtained under conditions that are a better match for real-life scenarios. This is important because the rate of release of some compounds is significantly affected by humidity.”
The Humidifier Accessory will be particularly useful to Markes’ customers who have been using the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor for routine quality control of product emission levels in manufacturing or R&D.
Dr Widdowson explains “Standard reference tests, used for certifying product emission levels, use humidified air and may take up to a month. Many Markes’ customers use their Micro-Chamber as an alternative tool for quick in-house screening, and the new Humidifier Accessory will help them get results that correlate even more closely with those from reference tests.”
The Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor, which operates on the principle of dynamic headspace sampling, is a compact stand-alone unit that is widely employed for the screening of chemical emissions from products and materials – especially those that are used in buildings and vehicles.
The instrument’s versatility, speed and ease of use means that it has been adopted as a QC or R&D tool across numerous industries, from consumer product testing to food analysis and odor profiling. The Humidifier Accessory is the latest in a line of product releases from Markes, which has a track record of developing innovative solutions to help customers improve their analyses.
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Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor
Markes International LtdFast sampling of emissions from products and materials. The Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor™ (µ-CTE™) is a versatile and compact unit with up to six small cylindrical chambers that enables the sampling of chemicals released from products or materials. Released volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) are collected onto sorbent tubes for analysis by TD–GC–MS. The capability of the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor has been further extended by the release of the Humidifier Accessory, which supplies the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor with air or gas at up to 50% relative humidity. Features: The four-chamber model has a chamber volume of 114 mL and a maximum temperature of 250°C The six-chamber model has a chamber volume of 44 mL and a maximum temperature of 120°C Volatiles are collected on sorbent tubes for analysis by TD–GC–MS; also compatible with DNPH cartridges for formaldehyde monitoring No sample preparation needed – simply place the material in the chamber A constant flow of heated air or gas ensures rapid production of a representative VOC/SVOC profile Results can be correlated with longer-term reference methods Construction from inert-coated stainless steel – compatibility with reactive or thermally labile chemicals Accessories allow surface-only sampling or permeation testing An optional humidifier accessory (available for both models of microchamber) supplies air/gas at up to 50% relative humidity to allow closer simulation of conditions used in reference tests and to enhance the recovery of some less-volatile polar compounds Benefits: Save time and money by minimising the need for third-party reference tests Convienient and fast – test multiple samples in minutes, not days, for efficient quality control Confidence in results – Data from the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor has been shown to correlate with longer-term reference-test results Avoid tedious and time-consuming sample preparation – simply place your sample in the microchamber Complies with international standard methods ISO 12219-3 (interior air of road vehicles) and ASTM D7706 (rapid screening of VOC emissions from products) Peace-of-mind – you are buying a quality product from the recognised leader in thermal desorption instrumentation Applications: RMicro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor analysing Rapid emissions screening of materials used indoors and in vehicles, especially to aid compliance with regulations and safety labels Product R&D and formulation of lower-emitting products Testing of raw materials and production-line quality control Comparison with competitors’ products Testing permeation of vapours through materials Aroma profiling of foods or fragranced materials