On-site nitrogen for nebulizer and auxiliary gas, hydrogen for collision/reaction cell operation, and purified water for sample preparation — eliminate cylinder dependencies and improve your trace-element analysis.
ICP-OES and ICP-MS systems depend on multiple high-purity gas supplies working together. Here is what each one does, what purity it requires, and which generator delivers it.
Nitrogen serves as nebulizer gas to convert liquid samples into fine aerosols and as auxiliary gas to shape and sustain the plasma torch. A cost-effective alternative to argon for specific ICP-OES configurations.
ICP-MS collision/reaction cells use hydrogen or helium to eliminate polyatomic interferences that compromise accuracy at trace and ultra-trace levels. Hydrogen reacts with interfering species; helium discriminates by kinetic energy.
Ultra-trace elemental analysis requires contaminant-free water for sample dilution, standard preparation, blank measurements, and rinse solutions. Even parts-per-trillion metal contamination creates background interference.
While argon remains the primary plasma gas for ICP systems, nitrogen can serve as nebulizer and auxiliary gas in many ICP-OES configurations, significantly reducing argon consumption and costs. Some newer ICP-OES platforms are specifically designed to operate with nitrogen plasmas.
An on-site nitrogen generator delivering 10–20 L/min at 99.999%+ purity provides an unlimited, uninterrupted supply at a fraction of the cost of liquid argon dewars or high-pressure cylinders. No more weekend or overnight gas shortages during long automated sequences.
For ICP-MS: While argon is still required for the plasma, nitrogen generators supply auxiliary and sheath gas for the interface region, sample introduction system, and cell gas lines. High-flow membrane generators like the NG CASTORE XL iQ deliver the sustained volume ICP systems demand.
A typical ICP-OES running 8 hours per day consumes 15–18 L/min of argon as plasma + auxiliary gas. Replacing even the auxiliary flow with nitrogen can save 30–40% of your argon consumption. Contact us for a detailed savings analysis based on your specific instrument and run schedule.
ICP-MS collision/reaction cells (CRC) are essential for accurate measurement of elements plagued by polyatomic interferences — such as Ni-60, Se-78, Ca-40, Fe-56, and Cr-52. The cell uses hydrogen or helium to remove these interferences before ions reach the detector.
Hydrogen as reaction gas: H₂ selectively reacts with specific polyatomic species (like ArC+, ArAr+, ClO+) through charge transfer or proton transfer reactions, converting them to non-interfering species. This is particularly effective for arsenic (As-75), selenium (Se-78), and iron (Fe-56) measurements in biological and environmental matrices.
Purity is critical: Even trace impurities in the cell gas can create new interferences or degrade sensitivity. A PEM hydrogen generator delivering 99.9999%+ purity with documented low nitrogen content ensures consistent, interference-free measurements batch after batch — unlike cylinders where purity can vary between deliveries.
The flow rates required are very low (1–10 mL/min), so even a compact HG BASIC or HG MINI generator provides years of uninterrupted operation.
ICP-MS measures elements at parts-per-trillion (ppt) concentrations. At these levels, even nanogram-per-liter contamination in your blank water creates measurable background that raises detection limits and compromises accuracy.
Common contaminants in poorly purified water — Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu — are the same elements many ICP users need to measure. Using laboratory-grade purified water with documented conductivity below 0.06 µS/cm eliminates this contamination source.
The HLP Series advantage: On-site water purification from tap water using reverse osmosis, mixed-ion-exchange, and optional UV sterilization delivers consistent ISO 3696 Type II (standard models) or Type I (UV models) water on demand. No more ordering, storing, and managing bottled purified water inventory.
PEM hydrogen generators also require deionized water (ASTM Type II, <0.1 µS/cm) as their feedstock. An HLP demineralizer supplies both your ICP sample prep water and your hydrogen generator feed water from a single unit, simplifying your lab’s water infrastructure.
Quick reference for gas and water requirements by ICP technique.
| Technique | Plasma Gas | Nebulizer / Aux | Cell Gas | Water | Recommended Generator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICP-OES OPTICAL | Argon | N₂ (auxiliary) | — | Type II | NG CASTORE XL iQ + HLP 10p |
| ICP-MS (Quad) | Argon | N₂ (sheath) | H₂ / He | Type I | NG CASTORE + HG PRO + HLP UV |
| ICP-MS/MS (Triple Quad) | Argon | N₂ (sheath) | H₂ / O₂ / NH₃ | Type I | NG CASTORE + HG PRO + HLP UV |
| ICP-MS (HR / Sector) | Argon | N₂ | — | Type I | NG CASTORE + HLP UV |
| LA-ICP-MS | Argon + He | — | H₂ / He | — | HG PRO (cell gas) |
Laboratories that switch from cylinder supply to on-site generation for their ICP systems consistently report these benefits.
Consistent, documented gas purity eliminates batch-to-batch variability in blank levels. Your detection limits stay stable run after run, day after day.
No more pausing automated 200-sample sequences because a nitrogen cylinder ran empty overnight. Your generator runs as long as your instrument does.
Replacing auxiliary argon flow with on-site nitrogen on compatible ICP-OES systems cuts your argon bill by 30–40% immediately.
Eliminate high-pressure argon and nitrogen cylinders from your lab. On-site generators operate at low pressure with automatic safety controls.
Generator specifications provide traceable, documented purity data for your quality system. No relying on cylinder certificates that may not reflect actual delivered purity.
One nitrogen generator, one hydrogen generator, and one water purifier replace multiple cylinder types, regulators, gas lines, and vendor relationships.
Our gas generators and water purification systems are instrument-agnostic and support every ICP-OES and ICP-MS platform from every major manufacturer.
5100/5110/5900 ICP-OES. 7850/7900/8900 ICP-MS. Triple Quad ICP-MS/MS. All gas configurations supported.
iCAP PRO/RQ/TQ ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Neoma MC-ICP-MS. Element XR HR-ICP-MS. Full gas and water compatibility.
Avio 560 Max ICP-OES. NexION 5000 ICP-MS. Universal Cell Technology. Hydrogen and helium cell gas support.
ICPE-9800 series ICP-OES. ICPMS-2050 series. Mini-torch technology for reduced gas consumption.
PlasmaQuant PQ 9100 ICP-OES. PlasmaQuant MS series. Nitrogen-compatible plasma configurations.
ARCOS II ICP-OES. SPECTRO MS ICP-MS. GENESIS ICP-OES. All auxiliary and nebulizer gas configurations.
ULTIMA Expert ICP-OES. Full nitrogen auxiliary gas compatibility for reduced argon operating costs.
Central nitrogen supply for labs running multiple ICP instruments. One NG CASTORE XL iQ feeds your entire ICP suite.
Tell us which ICP instruments you run, your daily operating hours, and your current gas consumption. We will recommend the right generators and calculate your argon savings.