News

Product Photo: FluxEdge GC System

On September 2, Shimadzu released the FluxEdge GC System, equipped with FluxEdge, Shimadzu’s proprietary trace gas sampling/switching technology. It can be installed in Shimadzu’s latest gas chromatographs (GC), to provide high-speed, highly reliable gas analysis with only the smallest of samples.

In recent years, the social implementation of a variety of technologies has progressed across the world, aiming for the realization of carbon neutrality and a net-zero society. In the research and development of more environmentally-friendly new energies and materials, durable equipment is required that provides high speed and highly accurate analysis performance, in order to monitor changes in the composition of the trace gases produced and reaction gases.

FluxEdge is a trace quantity gas sampling/switching mechanism developed based on microfabrication technology and passivation treatment techniques utilized in semiconductor manufacturing. It is equipped with a microvalve with a 7 mm by 7 mm diaphragm structure designed for trace volumes and to be chemically inert. Attaching it to the Shimadzu Nexis GC-2030 or Brevis GC-2050 gas chromatograph provides high-speed analysis with trace sampling, and high durability. When monitoring reaction compounds in artificial photosynthesis and in catalyst research in the context of decarbonization research, this unit quickly and continuously analyzes trace gas samples, heightening laboratory productivity. In the future, in addition to continuing to improve FluxEdge, we will expand the applications available, thereby supporting the analysis needs in a wide range of fields including food safety and environmental component analysis.

In addition to designating green transformation and healthcare fields in our medium-term management plan as important domains for creating social value, Shimadzu aims to pursue planetary health (well-being of mankind and the Earth). Through this product, we will contribute to research and development and quality control in fields including the environment and the life sciences.

Features

1. Ultra-fast and Reliable Analysis

In the monitoring of reaction compounds in the context of artificial photosynthesis and catalysts, FluxEdge provides continuous and high-speed analysis results, heightening laboratory productivity. Conventional GC analysis of inorganic gases often required more than 100 ml of sample, but this product can be used to analyze as little as a few ml, reducing the analysis time to approximately 1/3.

2. Unmatched Durability and Performance

Shimadzu developed the microvalve component adopted for flow line switching in this product by applying the microfabrication technology used in semiconductor manufacturing. The flow lines are designed to be inactive and small, enabling high-speed, highly accurate analysis. In addition, the microvalve itself can operate at least several million times, thereby providing several hundred times the durability of conventional valves.

3. Versatile Scalability and Ease of Use

By combining our company's latest gas chromatograph and FluxEdge, we have realized a simpler and more compact system configuration compared to conventional GC systems. Various detectors that can be handled by GC, industry-standard capillary columns, and various options can be selected, and the system configuration can be tailored to the needs of the laboratory. The control and analysis of the system are compatible with software provided by our company, and the analysis can be performed simply as with general-purpose GC.

Image with FluxEdge

For more details, visit
FluxEdge GC System