21.09.2022What’s a Residual Gas Analyser (RGA) and how does it work?
A Residual Gas Analyser analyses the composition of chemical substances by separating them into individual partial pressures that make up the overall environment.
The technology consists of a portable mass spectrometer using an ion source, which ionizes neutral gas particles which enables them to be separated within a mass filter based on their charge-to-mass ratio.
The ion current is measured using either a Faraday detector or a Secondary Electron Multiplier (SEM) after the ions have left the separating system, and processed by data analysis software to give a visualisation of the various gases within the environment.
RGA systems are used in various industries to detect the presence and quantity of discrete chemical substances (or lack thereof), one area of usage is leak detection for vacuum vessels.
An RGA can be used on a sealed vessel to detect the ingress of a control gas (i.e., helium) whilst under vacuum to verify the seal integrity of ports, welds, O-rings etc.
How do AEON use a Residual Gas Analyser?
Here at AEON we make use of an RGA system to analyse the composition of the ejected volatiles within the Thermal Vacuum Chamber during the bake out process.
Using a combination of the TQCM and RGA systems we're able to precisely monitor mass deposition onto the QCM and verify the composition of the chemical substances within the chamber - enabling us to confirm the exclusion of specific substances below permissible levels for the Space industry.
Do you require RGA Analysis?
If you require RGA analysis, are looking for a suitable provider to facilitate the bake out of your hardware, or are looking to find out more information about AEON's capabilities, please get in touch and book a consultation today!
