PROBLEM: A major manufacturer of TV and Computer CRT monitors experienced an outbreak of mis-processed components caused by equipment failure. The problem occurred in a thermal reduction process used in the production of nickel caps for thermionic emission cathodes, which are used in electron gun assemblies. The cause of the problem was quickly isolated to contamination of the high purity hydrogen supply to the reduction vessel with nitrogen, causing nitrides to form on the cap surface. The nitrides interfered with the critical interface between the cap nickel and the emission determining spray layer, causing failures at predelivery testing of the cathodes. The equipment was modified and short term control measures were put in place to ensure detection if the problem reappeared. However, the control measures required expensive offline scientific analysis using LAICPMS to be performed after every reduction cycle on a sample of caps, and so a more cost effective real-time solution was desired without an increase in risk to the component quality.

CUSTOMER PROBLEM：Many possible terrorist threats have been identified by the Department of Homeland Security, among which is the use of Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) to either harm building occupants or cause business disruptions. In order to maintain a level of security for populated buildings, a continuous air monitoring system should be employed in the building air handling systems or at entrances, mail rooms, and shipping docks. Initial systems deployed for TIC detection used monitoring technologies which have been found to lack the sensitivity or selectivity to make them useful against multiple chemical threat sources in the presence of interferents such as common solvents and cleaners. These interferents have often resulted in a large number of false alarms which are costly and reduce the overall customer satisfaction with the monitoring system. An analyzer that can detect multiple agents very quickly with no, or extremely infrequent, false alarms will enhance the utility and security protection offered by these ambient air monitors for homeland security applications.

The increasing use of new automotive fuel mixtures such as E85 and biodiesel is dramatically changing the chemical monitoring landscape in the development and manufacture of catalysts used to reduce vehicle emissions. Catalyst manufacturers have found that achieving regulatory compliance with these new and chemically complex fuels requires a level of knowledge of the combustion chemistry that goes well beyond the conventional need for CO, CO2, NO, NO2 and THCs analyses.

5 Hz Catalytic Emissions FT-IR Monitoring during Lean-Rich Engine Cycles: Comparison to Reference Methods

PROBLEM： The rising cost of fossil fuels and the worldwide need for reduction in green house gases have sparked renewed interest in alternative fuel sources that require less energy to produce. Gasification of biomass, coke and other residuals from petroleum, coal, municipal and industrial wastes can produce synthetic gas or "syngas". Syngas can be used directly as fuel; as well, it can be used to produce hydrocarbon fuels, hydrogen for fuel cells, and chemical feedstocks such as methanol. The analytical methods employed for quality assurance in syngas production must provide simultaneous and accurate data on mixtures of contaminants in the presence of high CO and CO2 content. The contaminant levels in syngas range in concentration from high ppm to % levels, depending upon the final product required.

CUSTOMER CHALLENGES： 1.Reducing catalyst performance testing time； 2. Reducing development time and costs； 3. Maintenance of multiple analytical instruments； 4. Accurate measurement of low level NOx； 5. Speciation of gas components directly without gas conditioning... BACKGROUND Currently, new catalyst performance evaluations require numerous analytical instruments to measure all species at varying load levels. These analyzers are expensive, costly and time-consuming to maintain, and for many, require extensive sample conditioning. For example, most analyzers require that the moisture level be very low for the instrument to work properly. This sample conditioning has been shown to provide systematic errors in NOx measurements. Also some gases such as NH3 cannot be measured directly. In this case NH3 is converted to NOx and then analyzed which adds even more complexity and greater potential for systematic error.

美国环境保护委员会（EPA）制定的新环保法规要求极其严格的限制从水泥生产厂和发电厂（EGU）等行业排放的含有HCL的酸性气体。新的排放标准要求HCL的排放最高极限值在7％无水O2条件下，硅酸盐水泥制造废气排放为3 ppmv，而发电厂的废气排放是1ppmv。新排放法规要求装备更高感光度并能监测HCl酸性气体的连续排放监测系统（CEMS），同时适应含有腐蚀性气体，并且颗粒含量高的气流...