New Analyser Measures CO2 at High Pressures

A new sophisticated gas analyser that measures carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure extremes has been developed by Sensor Electronics (USA). CO2 dilutes explosive concentrations of ethylene oxide (EtO) in, for example, medical equipment sterilisers and research laboratories. (EtO is both toxic and extremely flammable.) Because of intermolecular energy transfer between EtO and CO2 (and nitrogen, oxygen, H20) under pressure, accurate CO2 measurement is virtually impossible. Unlike erratic readings with conventional CO2 detectors, this new analyser ignores the transient extremes to give precise CO2 measurements through the cycle. The analyser uses twin source-to-sensor pulsating infrared beams, thus eliminating mirrors/lenses/splitters, and problems with dust, dirt, condensation, contamination and misalignment. It also shrugs off temperature and humidity extremes. Self-correcting circuitry means the analyzer can work for years without fussy adjustment or recalibration. The analyser even keeps a watchful eye on itself, flashing immediate warning of any internal problems, then spelling out what’s wrong where.  The unit can link up with printers, plotters, loggers, and computers to make a permanent record of fast-changing CO2 values.