The Benefits of a KIN-TEK FlexStream™ Permeation Tube System

The Electronic Fluorocarbons Research and Development Laboratory recently purchased a KIN-TEK FlexStream™ automated permeation tube system. The system is used for creating precision gas mixture standards that are certifiably traceable to NIST standards.

Gas mixture standards are produced through precise dilution of gases emitted from special permeation tubes (Trace Source™). These standards are designed to emit a fixed quantity of gas at a given set temperature.

Through careful control of the permeation tube temperature and the temperature and flow of the diluent gas, NIST traceable gas standards are generated. These standards can subsequently be used to calibrate various instruments for the quantification of specific chemical species.

Gas standard concentrations ranging from below 1 part per billion (ppb) to greater than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) are possible using a single permeation tube source and variation of diluent gas flow.

EFC Gas Standard Development through the Permeation Tube Process

At EFC, we have purchased permeation tubes for generating a precise mixture of acid gases hydrogen fluorine (HF) and hydrogen chloride (HCl). Developing gas standards for measuring and quantifying HF and HCl in some of our legacy products and some of our new liquid precursor products is our focus. This capability brings to EFC a tremendous added value in providing our customers with precise and reliable measurements of these key impurity acid gases.

The new KIN-TEK system will initially be commissioned in the Research and Development Laboratory to develop further measuring and quantifying systems for gases. Additionally, it will be available to the Production Analytical Department for routine generation of certifiable gas standards to support our business.