Zero Air and Hydrogen Gas Generator for Gas Chromatography: A Safer Alternative to Cylinders
Introduction
Gas generators, such as Parker gas generators including ChromGas™ series, provide a superior alternative to traditional gas cylinders by enabling on-demand, high-purity gas production directly at the point of use. This approach transforms laboratory gas supply from a logistical challenge into a streamlined, safer, and cost-effective solution, while improving overall laboratory self-sufficiency. Typical payback periods are achieved within 18 to 24 months.
Safety & Risk Reduction
- Eliminate high-pressure cylinders and connected handling and storage requirements.
- Remove fire hazards associated with storing large quantities of flammable hydrogen gas.
- Exceed safety regulations including NFPA 504 and OSHA 1910.103 standards.
- Low-pressure operation with minimal gas storage volume reduces safety risks.
Consistent Gas Quality & Performance
- Guaranteed purity levels without potential cylinder-to-cylinder variation.
- Prevent contamination during cylinder changeovers, pipeline connections or longer in-building supply lines.
- Continuous supply eliminates interruptions from empty cylinders.
Cost Effectiveness
- Payback period typically less than 24 months for most laboratory applications.
- Eliminate recurring cylinder rental and delivery costs.
- Reduce labor costs associated with cylinder handling and changeover procedures.
- Lower total cost of ownership compared to cylinder supply systems.
Operational Convenience
- On-demand gas production - generate gas only when needed.
- Simple installation and operation with minimal training required.
- Minimal maintenance requirements with automated operation.
- Remote monitoring capabilities for centralized management and efficiency tracking.
Space Optimization & Flexibility
- Compact, stackable design frees up valuable laboratory floor space.
- Modular system allows easy integration with multiple ChromGas™ units.
- Serve multiple detectors /GC instruments simultaneously from a single generator system.
- No need for cylinder storage areas or special ventilation requirements.
Parker ChromGas™ ZAG Generators
Parker Zero Air Generator (ZAG), incorporate state-of-the-art, highly reliable components engineered for ease of operation and long-term performance. Installation of these Zero Air Generators for GC is straightforward, requiring only an electrical outlet and a standard compressed air supply*. Catalytic combustion of potential volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air stream ensures the delivery of high-purity zero air, enabling interference-free flame ionization detector (FID) operation.
Parker ChromGas™ H2F & H2C Hydrogen Gas Generators
Parker’s ChromGas™ H2F & H2C hydrogen gas generators provide an optimal blend of safety, reliability, and performance. These Parker hydrogen generators employ proven proton exchange membrane (PEM) cell technology to generate high-purity hydrogen on-demand from deionized water and electricity, while maintaining low pressure and minimal stored gas volume. The advanced desiccant filtration ensures effective moisture removal, supporting consistent gas purity. Both hydrogen gas generator for GC models are supplied with a standard three-year cell warranty.
ChromGas™ H2F (Fuel Gas) Range
Figure 1.OMI®-4 purifier installed on an H2F-510NA system under continuous operation for two weeks (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) at a flow rate of 400 to 500 cc per minute.
For applications requiring higher hydrogen purity over short durations, the integration of an OMI®-4 purifier tube (23909) with an OMI®-4 tube holder (23926) is recommended.
Additional information on OMI® purifiers is provided below. For extended periods of higher purity demand, the use of H2C series generators or the installation of higher capacity moisture & oxygen traps should be considered.
An OMI®-4 tube was evaluated on an H2F-510NA system under continuous operation for two weeks (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) at a flow rate of 400 to 500 cc per minute.
ChromGas™ H2C (Carrier Gas) Range
To ensure that highly purified hydrogen gas reaches the instrument or detector without contamination, OMI®-2 or OMI®-4 purifier tubes, used in combination with the appropriate tube holder, should be installed upstream of the instrument. This configuration provides an additional level of assurance in maintaining gas purity at the point of use.
Figure 2.OMI®-4 purifier installed on an H2C-1300-NA system, showing minimal sorbent consumption after 2.5 months of continuous operation (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) at a flow rate of 1300 cc per minute.
OMI®-2 and OMI®-4 Purifiers
OMI® (Oxygen & Moisture Indicating) purifiers are specialized gas purification devices designed to ensure optimal performance in gas chromatography systems and gas delivery lines. These high-performance purifiers remove a broad range of contaminants, including oxygen, water vapor, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, most sulfur and halogen compounds, alcohols, and phenols, irreversibly from gas streams such as helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, argon, and methane.
These high-performance gas purification systems play a critical role in maintaining the integrity and reliability of GC analyses by removing multiple contaminants (oxygen, water vapor, CO, CO2, most sulfur compounds, most halogen compounds, alcohols, phenols) irreversibly from gas streams (helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, argon and methane).
Used as gas polishing unit, OMI® purifiers reduce contaminant levels to below 10 ppb, corresponding to ultra-high purity gas (gas purity 7.0 or 99.99999%). This level of purity is critical for sensitive GC applications, particularly those employing Hall detectors, electron capture detectors (ECD), and GC/MS systems.
OMI®-2 vs. OMI®-4: The Key Difference
The primary distinction between OMI®-2 and OMI®-4 purifiers lies in capacity and application.
- OMI®-2: Designed for single-instrument protection with standard capacity. It is typically used for less pure gas streams mainly to be seen as indicator downstream of higher-capacity moisture and oxygen traps. Installation directly upstream of each instrument is recommended to safeguard gas purity.
- OMI®-4: Provides approximately three times the capacity of the OMI®-2, making it ideal for protecting multiple GC instruments simultaneously.
Both purifiers feature glass bodies that provide visual monitoring while preventing diffusion of room contaminants into the gas stream. The indicating resin changes color from black to brown/yellow upon exposure to as little as 1 ppm of moisture or oxygen, providing a clear replacement indicator.
For optimal carrier gas purification, the combination of gas generation or external gas supply with an OMI® purifier is recommended to ensure ultra-high purity, supporting maximum column lifetime and consistent chromatographic performance.
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