Agilent 490-PRO Micro GC for Process Monitoring - Data Sheet

Significance of the Topic

The ability to monitor gas composition in real time with high sensitivity is essential for process control, safety and efficiency in industries such as petrochemicals, energy production and environmental monitoring. The Agilent 490-PRO Micro GC addresses this need by providing rapid, repeatable and unattended analysis of complex gas mixtures down to parts-per-million levels.

Study Objectives and Overview

This data sheet reviews the design, performance and applications of the Agilent 490-PRO Micro GC for continuous process monitoring. The system supports one to four independent analytical channels, allowing users to tailor separation chemistries and temperature programs for tasks such as natural gas heating value determination, refinery gas bulk and trace analysis, biogas characterization and trace sulfur or oxygenate detection.

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

The 490-PRO Micro GC integrates micro-machined components to minimize size and maintenance:

• Injector: MEMS-based, no moving parts, 1–10 µL injection volume, optional heating to 110 °C and backflush capability.
• Columns: Capillary (CP-Sil 5 CB, 13 CB, 19 CB, WAX) and micropacked/PLOT types (Molsieve 5A, PoraPLOT, Aluminumoxide, SilicaPLOT, Carboxene).
• Detector: Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD) with dual-channel sample/reference flow, 200 nL volume, detection limits as low as 0.5 ppm on capillary columns.
• Oven: Isothermal operation up to 180 °C.
• Pneumatics: Precise column pressure programming and carrier-gas control (He, H₂, N₂ or Ar), up to two gases per instrument.
• Sample handling: Stainless steel inlet, optional heated transfer line, software-selectable pump or continuous flow, multi-stream selection via relays or valves.
• Data handling: On-board automation, multilevel calibration (ISO 10723), real-time energy calculations (ISO 6976, ASTM D3588), history logging up to 35 days, and results export via TCP/IP, Modbus, FTP and web server.

Main Results and Discussion

The Agilent 490-PRO Micro GC delivers:

• Fast cycle times (typical analysis in minutes) and high repeatability (< 0.5 % RSD for propane at 1 mol %).
• Wide linear dynamic range from 1 ppm to 100 % concentration.
• Reliable unattended operation with minimal sample consumption and no need for flammable carrier gases.
• Seamless integration into process control systems via standard industrial protocols and I/O extensions (up to 38 relays, 25 analog outputs, 16 digital inputs, 6 analog inputs).

Benefits and Practical Applications

The key advantages and use cases include:

• Unattended, round-the-clock monitoring of natural gas quality and calorific value.
• Biogas composition and impurity tracking in anaerobic digestion facilities.
• Refinery and petrochemical gas analysis for process optimization and safety.
• Trace analysis of sulfur compounds, halogenates, oxygenates and HCN.
• Environmental stack-gas monitoring and air quality surveillance.
• Fuel cell feedstock verification and catalyst research.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging directions for micro GC technology include further miniaturization, integration with wireless networks and Industry 4.0 platforms, advanced data analytics and machine learning for predictive process control, and expansion of detector types (e.g., MS or FID modules) to broaden the range of detectable analytes.

Conclusion

The Agilent 490-PRO Micro GC offers a compact, flexible and robust solution for industrial gas analysis. Its combination of low detection limits, rapid response, extensive automation and industrial communication options makes it an ideal choice for process monitoring and control across diverse applications.

References

• Agilent 490 Micro GC brochure, publication number 5991-6041EN.
• Agilent 490 Micro GC Datasheet, publication number 5991-6034EN.
• Agilent 490 Micro GC Biogas Analyzers, publication number 5990-9517EN.
• Agilent 490 Micro GC Natural Gas Analyzers, publication number 5991-0301EN.