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Understanding Gases Articles

Our Understanding Gases articles talk about how our products and systems work hard to protect people and the environment from the dangers and help our customers make the world a safer place. We will also talk about how ensuring you have the right gas detection system in place can protect people and the environment.

Why Do We Calibrate?
There are two main reasons for calibration. Firstly, gas detectors often operate in harsh environments: high and low temperatures and/or humidities; they may be exposed to contaminants, such as solvents, silicone etc; gas exposure; as well as the age of a sensor; any of which can result in the degree to which the detector responds […]
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A Quick Guide To Bump Testing
A bump test is the only way to test that the whole gas detector unit is working properly. It checks that the sensors respond to the target gas, it also verifies that the display reacts and it confirms that all the alarms are activated and the detector goes properly into alarm. While it is strongly […]
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Bump Testing: What do you need to know?
There are many reasons why a portable gas detector may not react to gas, some of which are not visibly evident to the user.  When an instrument is turned on, you can see that the battery and display are working properly, but what about the internal electronics which play a critical role in protection? Do […]
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Calibration: What are the basics?
Calibration of gas detectors is vital to be sure that they are in good working order and able to alert the user to gas hazards in their vicinity. A calibration is a “resetting” of the detector’s response against a known concentration of target gas, in a balance of synthetic air or nitrogen. This will determine the […]
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Knowing Cross-Sensitivities
In a perfect world, gas detector sensors would identify, isolate and measure specific gases and give precise readings for each gas in any context. Unfortunately, technology allows us to come close to that but not to achieve it completely. That is why, when dealing with electrochemical toxic sensors, we have the challenge of cross-sensitivities, sometimes […]
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The Basics of Gas Detection
The evolution of gas detection has changed considerably over the years. New, innovative ideas from canaries to portable monitoring equipment provides workers with continuous precise gas monitoring. Gas detection equipment can be broken down into the monitoring of gas using sensors and gas path technology, the user interface that informs people or equipment of any […]
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Combustion of Gases and Vapours
Most organic chemical compounds will burn. Burning is a simple chemical reaction in which oxygen from the atmosphere reacts rapidly with a substance, producing heat. The simplest organic compounds are those known as hydrocarbons, and these are the main constituents of crude oil/gas. These compounds are composed of carbon and hydrogen, the simplest hydrocarbon being […]
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Maintenance, cleaning and calibration of PIDs
The electronics in the PID sensor, designed to be maintenance-free, are not accessible. Periodic sensor maintenance is required for the electrode stack and lamp. How often does the PID require maintenance? This depends on the environment you are measuring: if you are measuring indoor air quality with the PID, where the VOC concentrations are low […]
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Mitigate the health risks of welding
In February 2019 the UK Health and Safety Executive tightened up the requirement to protect workers from welding fume. The move came in response to new research that identified mild steel welding as a cause of lung and possible kidney cancer. Welding is a very energetic process that produces a range of compounds, many of […]
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