Petrochemical

Real-time VOC analysis for petrochemical applications that speeds up time to data in oil & gas surveying and production. Increase your capacity and shorten lead times in hydrocarbon characterization, BTEX fenceline monitoring, sour gas detection, and mudlogging.

SIFT-MS delivers high-throughput solutions that eliminate bottlenecks of the energy industry including prospecting, extraction, processing, environmental monitoring and product purity testing.

Most fuels and many modern products contain components that originate from hydrocarbons and other organic compounds occurring in crude oil. New commercial fuels, such as hydrogen, must meet stringent purity standards to prevent catalyst poisoning and premature degradation. SIFT-MS is the first technology that can quantify the full breadth of light-to-medium hydrocarbons and other VOCs in real-time, at the required concentrations, and with wide linear and dynamic ranges. SIFT-MS instruments also present a breakthrough in the detection, quantitation and tracing of petroleum hydrocarbons.

How we operate in the Petrochemical industry

Industry issue

High-penetration-rate drilling technologies present a challenge to current mud-gas analysis techniques: they are either too slow (gas chromatography (GC)), or do not quantify a complete range of compounds (photometric and electrochemical techniques).

Competitive benefit

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) overcomes these limitations, identifying and quantifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) directly from mud-tank headspace gas in real-time to the mid-part-per billion (ppb) concentration range. Hence SIFT-MS makes real-time hydrocarbon analysis viable in high penetration rate drilling operations.

Industry impact

The ability to quantify the volatile organics present in drilling mud, including the heavier hydrocarbon fractions, provides easy identification of hydrocarbon recirculation. Moreover, SIFT-MS minimizes both sample pre-treatment and calibration requirements, providing the ultimate solution for rapid, broad-spectrum hydrocarbon analysis at the well-side.

Sample Customers


Petrochemical resources

Application Note

Continuous, Selective, And Robust Fenceline Monitoring

The selective, sensitive, rapid, and robust analysis provided by SIFT-MS makes it uniquely suited to outdoor air quality monitoring.  SIFT-MS enables potential environmental incidents to be detected, identified, and remedied quickly, before they escalate to social or regulatory issues.

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Webinar

Enhanced Environmental Monitoring 1: Fenceline and Odor Applications

This webinar describes continuous environmental monitoring applications and presents a variety of case studies, including:

  • Fenceline monitoring
  • Real-time stack gas analysis
  • Odor characterization at the source
  • Continuous odor monitoring
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Report

Hydrogen Sulfide in Natural Gas

We present the results of the first study where SIFT-MS was used to detect and quantify hydrogen sulfide in natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).  SIFT-MS very effectively detects and quantifies hydrogen sulfide to mid part-per-billion levels in natural gas and LPG (due to the need for dilution).  The degree of souring of natural gas, in addition to determining its light to medium hydrocarbon composition, can be determined.

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Brochure

Petrochemical Industry Solutions

SIFT-MS presents a breakthrough in the detection, quantitation and tracing of petroleum hydrocarbons.  This brochure outlines several SIFT-MS-based petrochemical industry solutions provided by Syft Technologies including mud logging, sour gas detection, oil and gas prospecting, leak detection, and fence line monitoring.

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Application Note

Mudlogging

The sensitivity, selectivity, and high-speed analysis provided by SIFT-MS provides fast, reliable, and economic analysis of drilling mud at the well site.  Learn more about how it provides comprehensive, quantitative C1 – C14 analysis of mud gas in less than 15 seconds to part-per-billion-by volume concentrations (ppbv).

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Application Note

Rapid Analysis of BTEX Using Thermal Desorption-SIFT-MS

The combination of SIFT-MS and a GERSTEL autosampler provides automated analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylenes (BTEX) sampled from ambient air using thermal desorption tubes. This application note demonstrates the repeatability and sensitivity possible with automated thermal desorption (TD)-SIFT-MS. Automated TD-SIFT-MS provides sample throughput >3 three-fold higher than conventional TD-gas chromatography methods.

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Application Note

Rapid Analysis of BTEX in Water using Automated SIFT-MS

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) combined with GERSTEL automation greatly simplifies analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylenes (BTEX) in water. This application note demonstrates the linearity, repeatability and sensitivity achievable with automated SIFT-MS. Automated static headspace (SH)-SIFT-MS provides sample throughputs at least three-fold higher than traditional purge-and-trap-gas chromatography methods.

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Application Note

Rapid Analysis of BTEX in Soil Using Methanolic Extraction

Combining direct analysis using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and automated sample preparation, determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylenes (BTEX) in soil via methanolic extraction is simplified and accelerated. This application note provides an initial validation of the automated SIFT-MS method and demonstrates that the sample throughput achievable with SIFT-MS is at least two-fold higher than gas chromatography (GC).

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Webinar

Automotive Material and Tailpipe Emissions Analysis with SIFT-MS

In this webinar, we describe various automotive applications of SIFT-MS including exhaust gas analysis, emission screening of synthetic and natural vehicle components, and leak detection. Implementations of SIFT-MS instrumentation range from R&D through to the process line, enabling timely decisions to be made from new product development right through to production.

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Webinar

Process and Specialty Gas Analysis Applications of Direct MS

In this webinar, we describe applications of SIFT-MS to diverse process and specialty gas applications.  The strength of SIFT-MS lies in the combination of four factors that other techniques lack:

  • Rapid analysis
  • Comprehensive compound detection, including highly reactive species
  • Selectivity
  • Simple, low-cost operation
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Webinar

Hydrogen Fuel: Quality Control and Process Monitoring in an Emerging Sector Using Direct MS

SIFT-MS is an instrument for achieving real-time, selective and economical trace analysis of contaminants in hydrogen fuel. Direct, broad-spectrum analysis using SIFT-MS provides unique capabilities in hydrogen transport applications, including:

  • Simple NH3, CH2O, CHOOH analysis
  • Monitoring of real time oxidation of 13CO into 13CO2
  • Real time monitoring of contaminant degradation in fuel cell stacks.
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Webinar

Syft App Talks #14. Online Monitoring of CO Oxidation in PEM Fuel Cell - Isotopic Measurement and SIFT-MS Negative Reagent Ions

It has been historically impossible to monitor real-time oxidation of CO into CO2 onto the PEM fuel cell surface due to technical complexity.  The UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL) developed an approach using 13 CO contaminated hydrogen to monitor real-time 13 CO2 and 12 CO2 by SIFT-MS negative reagent ions. This presentation highlights the NPL setup, the calibration of the measurement in humidified atmosphere, and the first isotopic measurements for fuel cell research.

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Webinar

Syft Application Talks 3: Using SIFT-MS to Quickly and Accurately Look for Impurities in Hydrogen Fuel

In this first-of-its-kind presentation, Dr. Thomas Bacquart describes his research at the UK National Physical Laboratory: development of new measurement standards for hydrogen fuel purity.  Dr. Bacquart presents his SIFT-MS results, which include determination of reactive, chromatographically challenging impurities such as ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide.

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Webinar

Petrochemical Industry Gas Analysis Webinar

SIFT-MS represents a breakthrough in the detection and quantitation of VOCs (such as benzene and formaldehyde) and inorganic gases (such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide).  This webinar presents a variety of SIFT-MS-based petrochemical industry applications, including:

  • Mud logging
  • Stack analysis
  • Fenceline monitoring
  • Process analysis (e.g. for catalysis research)
  • Polymer product quality control and assurance
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Webinar

Online Demonstration - Part 1: Introducing TD-SIFT-MS for Routine Analysis

Become acquainted with TD-SIFT-MS through the analysis of environmental BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) from multiple sorbent tubes. This demonstration will address the following; - What makes this approach unique? - What does “real-time” thermal desorption data look like? - How is the automation and processing software operated? - How fast is it?

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Webinar

SIFT-MS Method Validation Webinar

Mark describes how the ICH Q 2 (R1) guidelines can be readily applied to SIFT-MS methods, whether in scenarios where only the analytical technique is changed or for tasks that pose a unique analytical challenge. He presents case studies for two such scenarios: 1) methanolic extraction of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene plus xylenes) from soil, 2) direct analysis of formaldehyde leaching into single-use pharmaceutical devices from polymeric components.

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Application Note

Syft Tracer: The Next Generation of Volatile Impurities Analysis for Enhanced Workflows

This app note introduces the next generation of SIFT-MS, Syft TracerTM, which launched at Pittcon 2023.  It revolutionizes volatile impurities analysis workflows through unparalleled speed, performance stability, and reproducibility.  Learn about how this innovation to real-time trace gas detection outpaces chromatography-based methods in the analysis of challenging analytes such as formaldehyde in a PEG excipient.

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Webinar

The Latest Innovation of Real-Time, High-Throughput Volatile Impurities Analysis by SIFT-MS

Join us for this webinar to learn about Syft Tracer, the latest advancement of real-time, trace gas analysis by SIFT-MS which launched at Pittcon 2023. Hear how the recent product innovations unlock analytical bottlenecks and enable faster decisions to be made in critical process steps.

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Brochure

Syft Tracer Brochure

Syft TracerTM is the latest advancement in real-time, direct injection mass spectrometry (MS) built to solve the most difficult analytical challenges faced within a variety of industries and applications.  This advancement to SIFT-MS delivers trace-level detection sensitivity, unparalleled performance stability, superior selectivity, and highly reproducible, quantitative data.  Syft Tracer is optimized for high-throughput environments where continuous operation is the standard.  Never miss a product or environmental contamination event again.

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Application Note

Revolutionary Productivity For Volatile Residue and Impurity Analysis

This application note describes a scenario in which Syft TracerTM replaces five chromatography systems and still has significant available sample capacity. SIFT-MS provides rapid, chromatography-free analysis that revolutionizes multiple workflows.

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Application Note

High-Throughput Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Air, Water, and Soil Using SIFT-MS

This study demonstrates high-throughput analysis of BTEX compounds from several matrices (air, water and soil). Detection limits in the single-digit part-per-billion concentration range (by volume) are readily achievable within seconds using SIFT-MS, because sample analysis is achieved without chromatography, pre-concentration, or drying.  We also present a calibration approach that enables speciation of ethylbenzene from the xylenes in real time.

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Application Note

Headspace-SIFT-MS: Flexibility that Revolutionizes Workflows for Diverse Samples

The characteristic flexibility, stability, high throughput, and fast time to data of the Syft Tracer next-gen SIFT-MS instrument apply across multiple headspace approaches for diverse matrices. This application note briefly summarizes the use of (1) dissolution, (2) multiple headspace extraction (MHE), and (3) the method of standard additions, then provides a guide for identifying the appropriate headspace approach for various matrices.

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Application Note

Improved MHE-SIFT-MS Workflows - Concentration Independent MHE Calibration

This application note investigates concentration dependence of MHE calibration in sample matrix.  Across the full range of analytes investigated in this study, MHE calibration holds for at least one order of magnitude change in sample concentration.  For analytes in the C7–C9 range, the MHE calibration applies over two orders of magnitude analyte concentration. These results mean that the MHE workflow can be applied to a wider range of samples in the matrix, further reducing calibration demand.

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Document

Real-Time Analysis of Volatile PFAS Compounds in Ambient Air

This presentation from Dr. Leslie Silva at Pittcon 2024 describes preliminary work that demonstrates the ability of SIFT-MS to analyze volatile PFAS compounds in real-time.  The use of negative reagent ions gives SIFT-MS a distinct selectivity advantage over competing technologies and legacy chromatographic methods.

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