ASDevices Presents Breakthrough Ultratrace Sulfur Detection Technology at Pittcon 2025
ASDevices recently showcased its innovative GC Enhanced Plasma Discharge (Epd) Technology at the prestigious Pittcon 2025 Conference + Exposition, demonstrating unprecedented capabilities for measuring ultratrace sulfur compounds in natural gas and hydrogen. Our poster presentation, led by Application Director Dr. Marc-Antoine Langevin, highlighted significant advancements in process-oriented gas analysis technology.
Meeting Critical Industry Challenges
Sulfur compounds pose serious threats as catalyst poisons in chemical processes that use natural gas and can damage electrodes in hydrogen fuel cells. While many analyzers can detect ppm-level sulfur, purified streams require laboratory analysis due to extremely low concentrations. This gap in continuous monitoring capabilities has been a persistent challenge for the industry.
Our presentation addressed this challenge head-on, demonstrating how ASDevices’ Enhanced Plasma Discharge (Epd) technology enables continuous, on-site monitoring of ultratrace sulfur compounds—a capability previously unavailable in process instrumentation.
Revolutionary Detection Capabilities
The poster highlighted two particularly significant achievements:
Natural Gas Analysis
Traditional analysis methods struggle with the coelution of H₂S and ethane on most GC columns. Our Epd technology overcomes this limitation through:
- Combination of specific wavelengths
- Unique features such as stabilization and electron-injection electrodes
- Advanced spectral separation capabilities
These innovations enable detection of H₂S down to 3 ppb in natural gas, even with ethane coelution challenges.
Hydrogen Analysis
For fuel-grade hydrogen, our system achieves a limit of detection (LOD) of <0.5 ppb for key sulfur compounds—significantly outperforming the 4 ppb requirement specified in the ISO 14687:2019 standard for fuel-grade purity.
Innovative System Architecture
The poster detailed our process-GC platform for natural gas analysis featuring:
- Purged Lip Sealing Valve (PLSV) Technology: Exceeds the lifetime of diaphragm valves while maintaining constant pressure drop and eliminating cross-port leak potential
- Dual-Channel Configuration: One channel for unpurified gas (0-10 ppm range) and another for purified gas (ppb-level detection)
- Asynchronous Processing: The ASDSense software enables independent measurement of different GC channels, optimizing analytical efficiency
- Sulfinert Treatment: All components in contact with samples are specially treated to handle the high reactivity of sulfur compounds
Real-World Applications
This technology provides crucial benefits for:
- Purification System Monitoring: Early detection of performance degradation
- Maintenance Optimization: Identifying when purifiers approach end-of-life
- Regulatory Compliance: Meeting increasingly stringent quality standards for natural gas and hydrogen
View the Complete Poster
For a detailed look at our research and technology, download our complete Pittcon 2025 poster here.
Contact Information
For more information about our ultratrace sulfur detection technology or other analytical solutions, please contact us at sales@asdevices.com.
