Specialty Gas Products & Services
Polar offers a full range of products and services including ultra high purity and above gases, gas mixtures, rare gases, gas handling equipment and a cylinder inventory control system.
Pure Gases
Polar has developed a gas manufacturing procedure that removes any concern of pure gas contamination. This is done by a series of purification steps to insure the cylinder is ready for high purity service before it is filled. Gas contamination is rarely, if ever, due to "bad" gas. Invariably, it is due to cylinder contamination. Polar performs a series of purification steps to insure the cylinder is ready for high purity services prior to filling the cylinder. At Polar, all specialty gas is filled under the direct supervision of experienced chemists. The Polar difference is this. On all gases rated Ultra High Purity (UHP) or above, each cylinder is individually analyzed. We don't stop there. On any cylinder rated UHP or better we will give you the actual analysis of the cylinder, not just the recommended specification. Polar attaches the actual certificate of analysis (COA) to the cylinder and records it in our data base for future reference. Our attention to detail insures Polar pure gas will exceed purity specifications every time, guaranteed.
Rare Gases
Polar has established relationships with international firms to ensure our customers one of the most reliable supply sources for rare gases, including but not limited to Xenon, krypton and neon. These gases are available in multiple grades, cylinder sizes and volumes. Contact us to get more information.
Gas Mixtures
Polar manufactures a wide range of mixed gases using only Ultra High Purity (UHP) and above gases. Polar's wide range of mixture classes allow you to match a specific mixture based on accuracy and precision to your application. This in turn gives you the highest possible performance from the mixture.
GENERAL INFORMATION
GAS MIXTURES
Listed in this section are the two-component gas mixtures supplied by Polar Cryogenics. These mixtures are typically used as calibration gas standards. Mixtures for special applications, including hospital use, emission monitoring and lasers, can be found in the special applications section. The product listings in this section contain basic ordering information including cylinder sizes, volumes and concentration ranges.
ORDERING
Please contact customer service and supply the following information:
Component Gases
Mixture Composition
Class of Mixture Required
Cylinder Size and Number of Cylinders
Special Certification Requirements (if any)Thousands of mixture combinations are possible. We have many combinations along with the most commonly used cylinder sizes. If you need a mixture or cylinder size not shown, please contact us. Information on mixture classifications, certification and additional technical information can be found in this section.
SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS
If you have an application requiring special certification, such as EPA Protocol Gases or traceability to Standard Reference Materials, please call. Our technical staff will review your requirements in detail, ensuring that you receive the proper class of mixture and proper certification.
EQUIPMENT
Each product listing contains recommendations for the gas-handling equipment. For a full description of that equipment, please refer to the specialty gas equipment catalog or contact customer service.
SAFETY
Safety considerations should be based on the most hazardous component(s) of the mix. For information on safety, we suggest that you request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
When you receive a specialty gas mixture from Polar Cryogenics, you are also receiving the benefits from years of experience preparing gas mixtures. Many factors are involved in blending gases, and the specialty gas supplier must consider each factor to ensure that the mixture will perform according to the requirements of the application. Our chemists review the following areas before an order is processed.
GAS COMPATIBILITY
When a mixture order is received, a chemist carefully reviews the requested mixture to determine the compatibility of the gases.
CYLINDER COMPATIBILITY
The cylinder material of construction must be compatible with the gases to be mixed. For example, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur compounds and many organics can be absorbed into the wall of a carbon steel cylinder, thus compromising the stability of the mixture over time. As an alternative, an aluminum cylinder may be used and the walls of the cylinder may be treated or conditioned according to special techniques developed to ensure mixture stability.
IMPURITIES
Impurities may be a problem in a low ppm mixture, especially if the balance gas contains trace amounts of the minor components. The chemist must therefore ensure, through analysis, the purities of each component gas in order to avoid contamination problems.
VAPOR PRESSURE
Vapor pressure is another important consideration, especially if there is the potential for a drop in temperature. If this occurs, the concentration of the liquefied component could change. A reduction in the total pressure of the mixture will reduce the potential for condensation and will maintain a homogenous gas phase.
CYLINDER FILLING
Polar Cryogenics’ chemists perform exact calculations to determine the amounts of each gas to be added to each cylinder. Depending upon the class of mixture, many factors must be considered including pressure, temperature and the heat of compression. Once the cylinder gases have been filled, the gases must be mixed for a specified period. In some cases, the gases are dynamically blended into the cylinder.
ANALYSIS
The mixture that has been carefully evaluated, filled and mixed is also analyzed. Depending upon the class of mix, component concentrations are compared to Polar Cryogenics’ internal standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Our Specialty Gas Laboratories maintain a working inventory of hundreds of different gases in varying concentration ranges and balance gases. These standards are cross-referenced from laboratory to laboratory and verified periodically in corporation-wide audit programs. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards include standard weights used for gravimetric mixtures and Standard Reference Material (SRM) mixtures. Analysis is accomplished using a variety of proven analytical methods. Gas chromatography with a number of different detectors is often employed.
CERTIFICATION
After the precision gas mixture is complete, an important final step must be completed. The Certificate of Analysis is our guarantee of the composition of the mixture. It is prepared and approved after the chemist has reviewed the analytical data for the mixture. The Certificate of Analysis is available upon request.
CLASSIFICATIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS
MIXTURE CLASSIFICATIONS
Polar Cryogenics produces different classes of mixtures to meet various requirements for accuracy and precision. These are described here along with the techniques used to make these mixtures.
CLASS A
PRIMARY STANDARD MIXTURESPolar Cryogenics Primary Standards are the most accurate mixtures made, both in terms of preparation tolerances and analytical accuracy. These standards are prepared by adding the individual component gases into the cylinder by weight. The cylinder is weighed on a high load, high precision balance and the weights of the gases are referenced to weights traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Concentrations of Primary Standards are verified by instrumental analysis using internal primary standards.
CLASS B
ZERO PREPARATION TOLERANCE MIXTURESZero Preparation Tolerance Mixtures are prepared at the exact concentration specified by the customer. They are prepared using a special system that automatically measures and controls the mass of each component added. These mixtures are also verified by instrumental analysis to internal primary standards.
CLASS C
CERTIFIED STANDARD MIXTURESPolar Cryogenics Certified Standards, also known as “working standards,” are the most widely used of the mixture classes. These standards are prepared by the partial pressure or volumetric techniques and are analyzed against internal primary standards. Certified Standards provide excellent accuracy at a reasonable price and are the mixture of choice for calibrating most laboratory instruments.
CLASS D
UNANALYZED MIXTURESUnanalyzed Mixtures are prepared using the same techniques as Certified Standards. They are batch analyzed only for accuracy and the preparation tolerance. Unanalyzed Mixtures are used in applications where exact analytical data is not required. No certification is supplied with these mixtures.
CLASSIFICATIONS FOR GAS MIXTURES
Class Mixture Ranges Preparation Tolerances Analytical Accuracies PRIMARY
STANDARDS
(Class A)10% - 50% +/- 2% of each minor component
+/- 1% of each minor component or down to
+/-0.02% absolute0.1% - 9.9% +/- 4% of each minor component
100 ppm - 999 ppm +/- 8% of each minor component
5 ppm -
99 ppm+ + ZERO
PREPARATION
TOLERANCES
(Class B)10% - 50% +/- 0% of each minor component
+/- 2% of each minor component
0.1% - 9.9% +/- 0% of each minor component
+/- 3% of each minor component
100 ppm - 999 ppm +/- 0% of each minor component
+/- 3% of each minor component
CERTIFIED
STANDARDS
(Class C)10% - 50% +/- 4% of each minor component
+/- 2% of each minor component
0.1% - 9.9% +/- 5% of each minor component
+/- 3% of each minor component
100 ppm - 999 ppm +/- 10% of each minor component
+/- 3% of each minor component
5 ppm -
99 ppm+ + UNANALYZED
MIXTURES
(Class D)Preparation tolerances for unanalyzed mixtures are expected but not guaranteed to be similar to those for Certified Standards. Since they are not analyzed, the labels will indicate the requested concentration. + In these ranges, component accuracies may vary depending on the chemical characteristics of the component. Contact Polar Cryogenics regarding your particular requirements. MULTI-COMPONENT MIXTURES
Polar Cryogenics has extensive experience and expertise in preparing multi-component mixtures containing up to twenty different components. Such mixtures are used in a variety of applications including biological atmospheres, semiconductor process gases, and for the calibration of process instruments in refineries and chemical plants. These mixtures can be prepared (assuming satisfactory component compatibility) in any of the different mixture grades and supplied in a variety of cylinder sizes including disposable cylinders. Special cylinder materials of construction and cylinder passivation techniques are used when necessary to ensure the stability of the mixture.
The following is a partial list of compounds that have been blended in multi-component mixtures. Please contact us for information on additional multi-component mixtures.
ACETYLENE
AMMONIA
ARGON
ARSINE
BENZENE
BORON TRICHLORIDE
1,3-BUTADIENE
N-BUTANE
CIS-2-BUTENE
TRANS-2-BUTENE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBONYL SULFIDE
CHLORINE
DEUTERIUM
DIBORANE
DICHLOROSILANE
DIMETHLAMINE
DIMETHYL ETHER
ETHANEETHYL CHLORIDE
ETHYLENE
FREON (or HALOCARBON)
HELIUM
N-HEXANE
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN BROMIDE
HYDROGEN CHLORIDE
HYDROGEN SULFIDE
ISOBUTANE
ISOBUTYLENE
ISOPENTANE
KRYPTON
METHANE
METHYL ACETYLENE
METHYL BROMIDE
METHYL CHLORIDE
METHYL MERCAPTAN
MONOMETHYLAMINE
NEONNEOPENTANE
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROSYL CHLORIDE
NITROUS OXIDE
OXYGEN
PERFLUOROPROPANE
PHOSPHINE
PROPANE
PROPYLENE
SILANE
SILICON TETRACHLORIDE
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE
TRICHLOROSILANE
TRIMETHYLAMINE
VINYL BROMIDE
VINYL CHLORIDE
XENONCertificate of Analysis- Pure COA
Customer: Stock
Product: Helium
Grade: UHP, 99.999%
Cylinder Number: 101877
Lot Number: K06011Purity Analysis
Component Specification Concentration Analytical Method Helium 99.999% >99.999% Difference Nitrogen 5.0 ppm 1.6 ppm GC-MS Oxygen 1.0 ppm 0.4 ppm Delta F Platinum H20 3.0 ppm 0.4 ppm Meeko Tracer THC 0.5 ppm 0.2 ppm GC-MS I certify the above referenced cylinder was analyzed and found to contain the listed concentrations.
Certificate of Analysis - Mixed COA
Customer: Stock
Product: 3.4% Carbon Dioxide, 15.6% Nitrogen balance Helium
Grade: Primary Blend
Cylinder Number: 101877
Product Code: 300 3.4CDNTHEJA
Lot Number: E0801301Mixture Analysis
Component Specification Concentration Analytical Method Carbon Dioxide 3.4% 3.35% MTI GC-TCD Nitrogen 15.6% 15.5% MTI GC-TCD Helium Balance Balance MTI GC-TCD I certify the above referenced cylinder was analyzed and found to contain the concentration which is listed on this certificate.