International Crystal Laboratories’ Gemini Series Short Path Gas Cells and Long Path Gas Cells are designed for industrial and research applications for FTIR gas analysis. Five product groupings provide users with choices to configure the appropriate solution. Short path length single pass gas cells constructed of electropolished 316 Stainless Steel, available in standard path lengths of 1cm, 2cm, 3cm, 5cm, 10cm and 15cm. Long path cells address the most demanding gas sampling requirements of industrial and field deployed FTIR and IR instrumentation. For applications requiring ultra long path lengths we offer our Saturn™ series multi-pass gas cells that range from 80 to 200 meters.
If you have any questions about our FTIR Gas Analysis Cells, please contact us
Short Path Gas cells are useful for FTIR Gas analysis and generally speaking, for concentrations of not less than 100 ppm. Cell utility for various ppm concentrations is dependent not only on path length, but also on the absorbance characteristics of the sample. Feel free to consult with us on these and any other issues concerning selection of an appropriate gas cell.
ICL’s Gemini™ gas cell line begins with our Mercury™ short path length single pass gas cells constructed of electropolished 316 Stainless Steel, available in standard path lengths of 1cm, 2cm, 3cm, 5cm, 10cm and 15cm. Custom path length cells for a variety of applications are also available.
These robustly constructed gas cells are ideal for specialty gas analysis, because they are leak tight and capable of high vacuum performance exceeding 1 x 10-8 Torr, and they also can be made pressure-safe with appropriate window material and thickness selection. Each Mercury™ cell is individually helium leak tested or hydrostatically tested and a test certificate can be supplied with any cell for $299.00 (Part No. 0009-9281).
Mercury™ cell configurations include base plate mounted, slide mounted and heated versions with temperature controllers. Purge maintaining connectors or couplers extending from the cell body to the sample compartment walls are standard on many base plate mounted models and purge gas connections are an available option. A wide variety of window materials can be used. Wedged windows are available to limit fringing. Instrument specific spectrophotometer interfaces are available.
Mercury™ cells feature high-vacuum welded gas fittings without valves comprising the sample inlet and outlet to maintain the leak-free integrity of the cell and assure high vacuum performance. Inlets and outlets comprise a Swagelok® VCR gland, a VCR female nut, a male VCR nut and a 1/4″ Swagelok® adapter. Valve kits are available.
Several common Mercury™ cell configurations are shown, but custom configurations are available upon request. Prices do not include windows, which can be selected from our transmission window price list. RFQ for wedged windows. Cell mounting and other hardware, exclusive of the cell body material and valves, is black anodized aluminum.
Mars™ Long Path Gas Cells
For applications that demand high performance, durability, reliability, simplicity, dependability and serviceability, Gemini™ Mars™ gas cells are the solution. Mars™ long path cells address the most demanding FTIR gas analysis sampling requirements of industrial and field deployed FTIR Gas Analysis and IR instrumentation with a robust series of metal bodied gas cells with electro-polished stainless steel or electro-less nickel plated aluminum bodies that outperform any gas cell on the market.
A key factor ensuring the durability and serviceability of each Mars™ cell is the use of stainless steel mirrors. These mirrors are extremely durable and they can be reconditioned many times at modest cost, thereby extending the service life of each Mars™ cell for many years. All mirrors are coated with our proprietary Gemgold™ multilayer gold coatings to insure the highest possible performance in demanding environments. Stainless steel optics are inherently superior to diamond turned aluminum mirrors, from the standpoint of longevity and serviceability. While 316 stainless steel tends to resist the corrosive effects of reactive gases, aluminum tends to react with many gases making aluminum subject to corrosion and therefore an inferior optical substrate.
A more effective low cost option to aluminum mirrors is gold coated glass mirrors, which can be special ordered on Mars™ at a discount to the prices of cells with stainless steel mirrors. Mars™ cells feature modular designs with interchangeable and reconditionable components, enabling us to deliver gas cells that are both versatile and serviceable. Metal bodies and cell hardware can be constructed from many materials. Cells from materials such as stainless steel (passivated or electro polished), pure nickel, nickel coated aluminum, black anodized aluminum, and FEP or PTFE coated aluminum are all available and can be configured to user specifications.
Mars™ gas cells can be configured for high vacuum exceeding 1 x 10-9 Torr and high pressure applications. Each Mars™ cell is individually helium leak tested or hydrostatically tested and a helium leak test certificate can be supplied with any cell for $299.00 (Part No. 0009-9281). See www.internationalcrystal.net for a sample vacuum test certification.
Mars Cells can be configured with heating jackets and with user programmable temperature and pressure control and monitoring options.
Several common Mars™ cell configurations are shown, but custom configurations are available upon request. Prices include KBrwindows, but other materials can be selected from our transmission window price list. RFQ for wedged windows to limit fringing. All Mars™ cells use 25 x 4mm windows. Cell mounting and other hardware, exclusive of the cell body material and valves, is black anodized aluminum.
Venus™ Glass Bodied Long Path Gas Cells
Gemini™ Venus™ Glass bodied long path gas cells are classic Hanst cells, first made commercially available by Dr. Phil Hanst, who started producing them after a long career at NASA and the EPA. Hanst cells are in our bloodline at ICL, since we were Phil’s first outlet for his product and Phil’s son Steve, who worked with Phil designing gas cells for 20 years, is now a major shareholder in ICL as well as its Executive Vice President.
Venus™ cells are small to moderate volume long path gas cells designed for FTIR Gas Analysis and for all purpose use in industrial and research applications. The cell design has improved significantly over the years with such advances as multilayer proprietary gold mirror coatings, improved purgeable transfer optics, and instrument specific base plate mountings. All Venus cells are fitted with Swagelok® 1/4″ or 1/8″ tube fittings to which valves, hose barbs or compression fittings can be attached. SS Swagelok® Valves are standard on the models listed.
Venus™ cell configurations include ICL’s popular Ultra Mini Cell which measures 3″ x 3″ x 8″ (3 meters fixed path length, 200cc volume), the Long Path Mini Cell (variable path length to 5 meters, 0.5L volume) and fixed and variable path length cells ranging from 4.8 to 8 meters. Instrument specific interfaces are available for base plate mounted cell configurations.
Several common Venus™ cell configurations are shown, but custom configurations are available upon request. Prices do include KBr windows, but optional windows can be selected from our transmission window price list. RFQ for wedged windows to limit fringing a/k/a channeling. Cell mounting and other hardware, exclusive of the cell body material and valves, is black anodized aluminum. Fittings and Valves are SS Swagelok®. All cell bodies are borosilicate glass. Mirrors are GemGold™ multi-layer gold coated, removable and easily serviced.
Earth™ Glass Bodied Long Path Gas Cells
Gemini™ Earth™ glass bodied long path gas cells are, like Venus™ cells, classic Hanst cells, but with larger volumes and longer path lengths. Pathlengths range from 10 to 20 meters and volumes range from 2 to 8 liters.
For applications requiring ultra long path lengths we offer our Saturn™ series multi-pass gas cells that range from 80 to 200 meters. These cells employ an innovative advancement in White cell configuration that effectively triples the operational range of the cell within a moderate size cell volume, thereby providing path lengths in excess of 100 meters that still produce strong signal throughput to enable part per billion (ppb) trace level detection sensitivity in ambient conditions and when sampling gas mixtures.
The spectra show excellent signal to noise performance at 0.5cm-1 resolution in a 160 meter path length cell in a few minutes of elapsed observation time.
All Earth and Saturn cells feature SS Swagelok® valves, multilayer gold coated mirrors, borosilicate glass bodies, transfer optics and base plate configurations to fit most spectrophotometers, and black anodized aluminum hardware. Earth™ cells use 1/4″ SS flow tubes and Swagelok® connections and Saturn cells use 3/8″ SS flow tubes and Swagelok® connections. All variable path length cells incorporate a laser alignment device with a 6 volt DC power supply for path length verification based on the number of passes made through the cell.
Several typical Earth™ and Saturn™ cell configurations are shown, but custom configurations are available upon request. Prices do include KBr windows, but optional windows can be selected from our transmission window price list. RFQ for wedged windows to limit fringing a/k/a channeling. Cell mounting and other hardware, exclusive of the cell body material and valves, is black anodized aluminum. Fittings and Valves are SS Swagelok®. All cell bodies are borosilicate glass. Mirrors are removable and easily serviced.
Saturn™ Long Path Gas Cells
Saturn Series Multi-Pass cells are Research-grade long path gas cells from 50 meters to 200 meters or more. Custom transfer optics and mounting hardware for center-focus or side port use on spectrometer systems are provided. An innovative advancement of the White optical configuration for long-long path length effectively triples the operational range of the instrument inside a moderate size cell volume. This provides path lengths in excess of 100 meters that can produce a strong IR signal throughput for trace level detection.
Saturn Series gas cells are ideal accessories for FTIR Gas Analysis and long-long pathlength studies of ambient air pollution or trace gas analysis in the ppb range. Black anodized aluminum hardware is featured as the primary material for the cell parts. A pyrex glass cell body can be substitued with Quartz, Aluminum, or other materials, which can be protected by a variety of coatings like FEP or nickel plating to prevent reactions on the cell chamber walls or prevent adsorption of trace gases