The Compact
EI-TOF-MS
Providing rapid and sensitive gas analysis.
The Compact
The Kore Compact EI-TOF-MS
The Kore Compact EI-TOF-MS is a modular, computer-controlled, time-of-flight mass analyser that is available as a bench-top version. This instrument is easily transported from one location to another, for example in a car or van. It provides rapid and sensitive gas analysis for production and research applications.
The Compact EI-TOF-MS’s ease of operation and ability to produce stable long-term measurements of the constituents of gases at pressures from millibars to 10 bars makes the equipment well suited to process monitoring as well as catalysis studies and reaction kinetics research.
Electron ionisation (EI) is one of the first and most widely used ionisation techniques in mass spectrometry and has been in use for over 100 years. The ionisation of analyte molecule relies on a beam of (usually) 70eV electrons removing an electron from the molecule during the collision. EI is described as hard ionisation; the excess energy in the collision produces many fragment ions. The ‘fingerprints’ or patterns of molecular and fragment ions can be related to extensive databases such as NIST and allow for mass spectral deconvolution. EI ionisation is most commonly used for ionisation of VOCs and SVOCs.
TRANSPORTABLE
At only 440 x 280 x 520mm, the Kore Technology EI-TOF-MS has been developed to be transportable and can be taken on site (230V mains power required).
GAS INLET SYSTEM
Current inlets included as standard with the Compact EI-TOF-MS include: (1) a Capillary inlet for rapid (<1 second) analysis of inorganic gases and high concentration VOCs, (2) a membrane inlet for increased VOC sensitivity (down to ~50ppb) and inorganic gas detection. The instrument can be coupled to a Gas Chromatograph (e.g. PREFICS) as a fast MS GC detector, and for a customised instrument we have also integrated a 16 port multi-position valve for process gas analysis.
HIGH TIME RESOLUTION MODE
For short duration experiments (typically up to 20 minutes) it is possible to stream the information of all detected ions to disk, and then ‘replay’ the data with as fine an experiment time resolution as the user wants (and the counting statistics permit). In this mode for instance, it is possible to request full mass spectra at time slices of as little as 100ms. Alternatively, one might request the time evolution plot of any species with a time resolution of 100ms. This type of functionality is useful for extracting the most information from short-term experiments, and is done using existing GC-MS tools within the GRAMS™ software package.
Process Monitor Mode
Where the experiment takes places over many hours or even days, it is not practical to run the instrument continually and store every recorded ion to disk. Instead, the user requests that a mass spectrum of x seconds duration be acquired every y seconds of elapsed time. The instrument then operates in a mode where selected species are plotted ‘live’ to a graph as a function of elapsed experiment time- essentially a process monitor type operation.
For the live plot, species are specified beforehand in a set-up table. At each data point a full mass spectrum may be saved to disk, and so at the end of the experiment the user may reconstruct the time evolution of any mass species at the time resolution dictated by the frequency of data recording in the experiment.
| Concentration range | From ppb levels to 100% (four sensitivity settings in software) |
| Maximum sensitivity | Krypton in air (1.1ppm) in 10 seconds (capillary inlet) |
| Xenon in air (90 ppb) in 1 minute (capillary inlet) | |
| Benzene detection limit <50ppb in 10 seconds (with membrane inlet) | |
| Mass resolution | >1000 m/δm (FWHM) |
| Mass range | Unlimited, in practice 1-1000 m/z (limited by gas phase thermochemistry) |
| Electron impact ion source | 70eV; compatible with NIST database |
| Dimensions | 440 x 280 x 520mm |
| Pumping | 85l/s turbo molecular pump, backed by a diaphragm pump |
| Ion source baking | Up to 100ºC (hot source available on request) |
| Supplied with two sample inlet systems: | Capillary inlet |
| Membrane inlet (enhanced sensitivity for VOC detection) | |
| Response time | <1 sec (capillary inlet) |
| ~10 seconds for benzene (membrane inlet) | |
| Interfacing capability with GC | |
| Time to operation after transportation | ~ 30 minutes |
HEATED INLET LINES
All our EI-TOF-MS instruments can be supplied with internal and external heated inlet lines, capable of 200°C and constructed of passivated inert materials for minimum VOC losses and low VOC adsorption.
INLET MODULES
Kore Technology have developed a series of robust inlet modules including PTFE swab desorbers, trap tube desorbers and SPME desorbers which are available for interfacing to Kore Technology EI-TOF-MS.
FLIGHT CASES
Our standard shipping containers are reusable padded wooden crates, which our customers often use for transporting the instruments to field sites. We also offer reusable flight cases with shock protection and durable sides for customers that ship the instruments regularly to measurement sites.
APPLICATION AREAS
- Catalysis studies
- Process monitoring
- Reaction kinetics research
- VOC monitoring (ambient air, product quality control and testing)
- Clean room air quality monitoring
- Breath analysis
- Food analysis
- Homeland security
- Odour identification (buildings, factories etc)
- Fence line monitoring
Application Notes
- Benzene While Refuelling
- VOCs From a Landfill Site
- On-Site Soil VOC Monitoring
- Suit Contamination
- Food Odour Analysis
- PFC Contamination
- Passive Smoking
- Arson
Product Note
PRICING AND ORDERING
Kore Technology is a centre of excellence in time-of-flight mass spectrometer technology and has a very strong R&D capability in terms of its personnel, all of whom have been heavily involved in a variety of analytical instrumentation development programmes.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us via our online form or telephone us for more information, we offer a wide range of products and services to suit your requirements.
If you wish to purchase our products, please contact Kore sales at sales@kore.co.uk, or call +44 (0)1353 653030.
contact us
