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December 2014

PAC is pleased to announce the latest version of its advanced laboratory instrument data integration software, IRIS Software v2.0. IRIS Software provides customers the advantage of connecting their PAC laboratory instruments, locally or worldwide, and managing these instruments, including gathering and analyzing test data, as well as communicating results. This latest version includes several feature enhancements which make it easier to use and install, as well as more compatible with typical LIMS systems.

With the enhanced installer and configurator, it is now more straightforward and intuitive to install the software and configure the connected instruments. In addition, a new instrument discovery dialog makes it easy for users to find all the instruments connected to the software. IRIS is fully compatible with the latest revisions of MS Windows®.

“IRIS Software was designed to meet our client’s needs for increasing lab efficiency by providing the same software to manage numerous instruments, “said Eef Klok, PAC Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing. "To help our customers maximize efficiency, we have been continuously adding new plugins to IRIS. We currently offer 15 of the most frequently utilized PAC lab instruments, including the Herzog OptiDist, ISL PMD 110, AC Analytical Controls® Reformulyzer® M4, and ISL VIDA."

October 2014

ISL PMD 110 is now approved for use in the ASTM Reference Standard D1655 for Aviation Fuels. ASTM recently added ASTM D7345, the PMD Method, to the jet fuel reference standard, D1655 as an alternative to ASTM D86. ASTM D7345 is the “Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products at Atmospheric Pressure (Micro Distillation Method)”.

Based on an innovative micro-distillation method, the PMD 110 determines the boiling range characteristics of any commercially available petroleum product, including light and middle distillates, in less than 10 minutes and using only 10 ml of sample. Thanks to its compact, robust, and portable design, the PMD 110 is easily installed in mobile or on-site laboratories.

The PMD 110 is in perfect correlation with ASTM D86 (groups 0-4), ISO 3405 (groups 0-4), IP 123, and D1160 (for Biodiesel B100). With its automated features, such as built-in calibration, automatic sample detection, and an automatic pass/fail notification makes the PMD 110 one of the easiest distillation instruments on the market.

September 2014

PAC has over 50 years of experience in developing automatic flash point analyzers for petroleum products, biodiesels, solvents, fluxed bitumen, food, and beverages. This newest edition is enhanced by being simpler to use, easier to clean, and safer to operate. The OptiFlash detects flash points up to 400°C and complies to leading global standards, such as ASTM D93, ISO 2719, EN ISO 2719, IP 34, JIS K2265, and GB/T 261.

With the OptiFlash’s intuitive user interface and built-in automation, users can now easily start a test without having to spend time doing manual tasks like installing the flash point and temperature sensors, as well as installing the test cup for each test. Its innovative design also makes it much easier to clean allowing the user to not only disassemble the cup cover without any tools but also to clean highly viscous samples, like bitumen. This improves the reliability of the test results significantly since customers can now run a quick clean before running any new sample.

“Determining the flash point of a product can be a dangerous test to run just due to its nature. With this in mind, PAC made sure to instill the highest safety standards into the new OptiFlash. With its ultra fast optical flame detector, the OptiFlash is the only instrument that can now detect a fire or even small flames in an extended range around the test cup,” says Eric Schellenberger, PAC President.

This new instrument replaces the previously released PAC flash point instruments, the Herzog HFP 339, Herzog HFP 360, and ISL FP93 5G2.

August 2014

ISL Houillon Viscometers, the VH1 and VH2, comply with the recently released revised version of ASTM D7279-14 Standard, “Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids by Automated Houillon Viscometer”.

The new revision of the standard extends the scope from lubricating oils to include distillates (e.g., base oils, formulated oils, fuels, and biodiesel) and also adds a new precision at 40°C and 100°C, established through an interlaboratory study.

Our customers can now run their distillate oil samples on the VH1 and VH2 while complying with ASTM D7279. Requiring less than 1 ml of sample, the Houillon approach is applicable to both transparent and opaque samples, while needing less manpower to run. Since the kinematic viscosity results are produced within 60 seconds, the ASTM D7279 method has proven to be ideal for rapid testing of in-service engine oil conditions.

In addition to small sample size and fast analysis, the ISL Houillon Viscometers are easy to operate, flexible due to the capability to accommodate one or two solvents for cleaning, and robust in construction. Finally, the single-bath design, including 4 Houillon tubes, combined together with advanced automatic features, enable the simultaneous run of up to 16 tests.

June 2014

The 393 sensor’s new design is configurable to the end user’s needs; it has numerous industry standard process connection options, including ANSI, DIN, and RTJ flanges. With these new connections, it is easy to install CVI’s patented sensor technology in petrochemical plants and refineries, including hazardous areas.

CVI’s technology is based on the oscillating piston method, which has only one moving part with no mechanical linkages. The sensor electromagnetically drives a piston through a fluid in a controlled measurement chamber at a constant force. Proprietary circuitry analyzes the pistons two-way travel time to measure the absolute viscosity. The sensor is constructed of all 316L stainless steel and the piston is constantly mixing the sample and scrubbing the measurement chamber clean.

 

April 2014

Cetane Ignition Delay

PAC developed the newly released ASTM D7668 “Standard Test Method for Determination of Derived Cetane Number (DCN) of Diesel Fuel Oils—Ignition Delay and Combustion Delay Using a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber Method” for the PAC Herzog CID 510. It provides highly accurate Derived Cetane Number (DCN) analysis for diesel fuels with excellent correlation to the CFR Engine.

As part of the method development process, ASTM and the Energy Institute conducted an extensive interlaboratoy study in March of 2013. In the ILS, 17 laboratories participated from the United States and Europe to compare the cetane number determined with the referee method, ASTM D613 (CFR Engine Technology) and the derived cetane number determined with the ASTM D7668 (CID 510). The precision of the CID 510 (ASTM D7668) from the ILS study is much better than traditional CFR Engine technology (ASTM D613), as well as other CVCC instruments (ASTM D7170 and ASTM D6890). In addition to high precision, the CID 510 provides excellent correlation to the mean value of the CFR Engine.

“With other technologies, refineries had to compensate for less precise centane number results in Diesel by adding more cetane improver to the process just to make sure they do not go below the minimum specification requirement for cetane number ” says David Tran, PAC Vice-President for Product Management and Marketing. “ With the excellent precision and correlation of our CID 510 technology, refineries are able to run their process closer to the true specification limit for the cetane number of diesel, allowing them to add just the right amount of Cetane improvers and achieve significant cost savings. For a refinery producing 100,000 barrels of Diesel per day, operating at 1 cetane number closer to the specification could save as much as $800,000 USD per year.”

In addition to high precision, the CID 510 has significant benefits. It is easy to use with fully automated measurement and one push button operation, as well as automated calibration. It also contains enhanced safety features, such as a built-in fire monitoring and suppression system, over pressure protection for the fuel injection system and combustion chamber, and a fuel level sensor for the injection system. The CID 510 is a benchtop unit, which means it is much smaller than the traditional CFR engine technology that typically required its own room.

 

April 2014

PAC pioneered the IP 599 method, “Determination of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) in aviation turbine fuel - Gas Chromatography using heart-cut and refocusing”, that was recently approved and published by the Energy Institute (EI). As part of the approval process, EI conducted an in-depth interlaboratory study that included 8 laboratories from Europe and Canada analyzing the samples via this method. The precision, as calculated by the Energy Institute, exceeds the known statements for competing technologies such as IP 583 (IR), IP 585 (GC-MS) and IP 590 (HPLC) methods.

PAC developed this new method after its AC FAME in AVTUR analyzer, a unique gas chromatography analyzer combining deans-switching and re-focusing. It provides accurate quantitative data on individual and Total FAME components in the range of C16 to C18 with the option to analyze C14 FAME which is a marker for the presence of lower chain methyl esters such as those produced from coconut oil. This innovative method is specified for the range of approximately 3.5 to 116 mg /kg FAME; this is sufficient to meet the 5 mg/kg lower limit defined in DEF STAN 91-91 and ASTM D1655.

“In addition to higher precision and analyzing a wide range of jet fuels, this new method utilized by the AC FAME in AVTUR instrument is the easiest one to perform due to no sample preparation or complex multi component calibrations,” says David Tran, Vice-President of PAC Product Management and Marketing. “Due to its ease of use, a highly educated chemist is no longer required to run this analysis. It can now be used for routine analysis by refineries, distribution and pipeline companies, independent labs, airline companies, or military for the measurement of FAME (biodiesel) in jet fuel.”

April 2014

PAC’s AC Analytical Controls Reformulyzer M4 fully complies with the recently released revision of the multi-dimensional GC method EN ISO 22854 method, “Liquid petroleum products — Determination of hydrocarbon types and oxygenates in automotive-motor gasoline and in ethanol (E85) automotive fuel -- Multidimensional gas chromatography method”, from CEN and ISO.

The main changes in this new method from the previous version are the addition of nitrogen as alternative carrier gas to helium, an update of the response factors for ethanol and ETBE, and an inclusion of a 2nd procedure that enables operators to analyze high ethanol fuels (E85) by using a dilution step. This allows the reporting of ethanol, ethers, and higher alcohols in fuels containing between 50% and 85% ethanol as this may be requested in future E85 specifications. The method is fully harmonized with the latest version of ASTM D6839, which was published in 2013.

PAC released the Reformulyzer M4, which determines full group type analysis of gasoline and gasoline blend streams using multi-dimensional gas chromatography, in September of last year. It is the fastest and most flexible analyzer on the market to combine analysis for Paraffins, Olefins, Naphthenes, Oxygenates, and Aromatics in one instrument.

“With the latest release of this method, the Reformulyzer M4 ensures our client’s compliance while also offering unique benefits. The M4 significantly reduces the total cost of ownership and increases the instrument uptime through the improved trap performance,” says David Tran, PAC Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing. “In addition, the M4 reduces analysis time by ~50% to 39 minutes while other group type analysis instruments take 75 minutes to run. This enables refineries to make timely decisions to keep their products on spec and optimize their operations. This same advantage allows independent labs to improve their capacity by almost doubling the number of samples they can process.”

November 2013
Jet Fuel Thermal Oxidation Tester

PAC’s Alcor JFTOT® IV recently won the Good Industrial Design Award (Good Industrieel Ontwerp - GIO) presented by Designlink. The GIO award is the longest running and most renowned award for Industrial Design in the Netherlands. It is held every year and awards are handed out in 5 categories: consumer products, public design and mobility, professional products, interior design, food & retail. The JFTOT IV won the award in the professional products category. PAC released the JFTOT IV in May of this year. Alcor’s JFTOT analyzers are the globally recognized standard for jet fuel thermal oxidation testing with a worldwide installed base over 1000 instruments of various generations of instruments. In addition to its accurate and reliable jet fuel analysis, the JFTOT IV offers enhanced safety features and simplified operational capabilities in a smaller, more streamlined package than previous generations. Its appearance and user interface design, aided by Vanberlo design agency, were also greatly enhanced. The JFTOT IV strictly follows ASTM D3241, IP 323, and ISO 6249 standard test methods.

“PAC is very proud to have received this distinguished award for one of our most innovative products, the JFTOT IV. We incorporated several unique features into the design, such as the quick connect containers, sliding door over the heater tube, and a large touch screen, to enhance the ease of use and safety for the operators,” said David Tran, PAC Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing, “Our goal is to offer our customers with the best design features in our products and it is gratifying to know that they have been recognized by an independent and highly regarded organization such as Designlink.”

November 2013

Advanced Sensors, a leading global supplier of Oil in Water analyzers, has joined the PAC team. Advanced Sensors has served oil and gas and marine customers with highly accurate and exceptionally reliable process analyzers since 2006.

The Advanced Sensors Oil in Water analyzers operate in harsh environments with zero routine maintenance, consistently providing highly accurate and reliable results. These accurate measurements ensure process and environmental control and offer early warning indicators of leaks and discharges. Advanced Sensors has combined numerous technologies, such as ultrasonics, fluorescence, video microscopy, optical spectrometry and mass spectrometry, to ensure that its analyzers stay clean and provide precise readings.

“Advanced Sensors provides a proprietary technology that is the preferred choice when customers focus on meeting their regulatory oil in water discharge requirements with confidence. This technology will make PAC’s Process Analytics division even stronger and more competitive,” said Eric Schellenberger, PAC President. “With its strong product technology and its penetration in the Oil Gas production market segment, Advanced Sensors will enable PAC to deliver a highly differentiated technology to our current process refining customers and expand our market penetration in the upstream market.”

September 2013
Reformulyzer M4

“We are proud to announce the release of our next generation product, Reformulyzer M4, the fastest and most versatile analyzer on the market, combining the analyses of Paraffins, Olefins, Naphthenes, Oxygenates, and Aromatics all in one instrument,” said David Tran, PAC Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing. “The M4 significantly reduces the total cost of ownership and increases the instrument uptime through the improved trap performance. Its quick and accurate analysis enables refineries to make timely decisions to keep their products on spec and optimize their operations. This same advantage allows independent labs to improve their capacity by almost doubling the number of samples they can process.”

Other group type analysis instruments can take 75 minutes to run. The M4 reduces this by approximately 50% to 39 minutes. In addition, because of improved durability, the M4 traps do not need to be replaced as often, which significantly decreases maintenance costs. This improvement, combined with the improved sample capacity, can reduce the total operational cost per sample by 50% when utilizing the M4 around 90%.

Compliance with international standards is an absolute imperative in the hydrocarbon industry. Refineries and independent labs must follow strict procedures and methods to certify end products. The M4 is the worldwide accepted industry standard for EN ISO 22854, and also fully complies with ASTM D6839, ASTM D5443, IP 566, and SH/T 0741.” AC Analytical Controls by PAC is the worldwide recognized leader in gasoline and gasoline blends testing with over 30 years of industry experience.

AC introduced the first multi-dimensional gas chromatography instrument in 1981. Since the Reformulyzer Classic was introduced in 1992, there have been over 500 Reformulyzer installations. The Reformulyzer M4 continues to lead the industry and is the fifth generation analyzer.

May 2013

PAC recently released its latest jet fuel thermal oxidation analyzer, the Alcor JFTOT 230 Mark IV (JFTOT IV). It adds enhanced safety features and simplified operational capabilities to its previous industry-proven solution that significantly increases operator productivity in a smaller, streamlined package. The JFTOT IV is listed in Table 1 of ASTM D3241-13, “Standard Test Method for Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels”, as an acceptable instrument model. T

he JFTOT IV has more safety features than previous generations of jet fuel thermal oxidation testing instruments. The sample and waste containers minimize jet fuel vapor exposure to operators and to the environment, and the sliding test door prevents exposure to the hot heater tube test section. In addition, it is noticeably easier to operate than earlier versions. Previously manual tasks, such as priming the pump, monitoring sample flow, and aerating the sample, are now automated. Due to its ease of use, the JFTOT IV requires little training, which is important for laboratories with limited resources.

With the JFTOT IV, the operator only spends 10 minutes performing any duties to run the samples versus the approximately 50 minutes required by previous instruments. This is a significant improvement that reduces operator intervention by 80%.

“Our lab customers have always expressed a strong desire for instruments which are easier to use, safer, and take less time to operate,” said David Tran, PAC Vice-President of Product Management. “Keeping our customers in mind, we developed the JFTOT IV with new safety features as well as highly automated features that not only make the instrument simpler to use, but also increase lab productivity. The significant time saved in performing the tests means the operators are free to perform their other job duties. If you run three tests every day, you could increase lab productivity by as much as 25 percent.”

Alcor by PAC is the global leader in jet fuel thermal oxidation testing with over 40 years of experience in the industry. Alcor introduced the first jet fuel thermal oxidation analyzer in 1972. The JFTOT IV is the sixth generation analyzer of this line.

January 2013

ASTM recently published its latest version of the ASTM D3241-12, “Standard Test Method for Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels,” which now states that heater tubes that electronically store data directly on them are in compliance with the standard.

Building upon years of experience in the field, Alcor by PAC recently developed the Intelligent Heater Tube TM (IHT) to provide better traceability and security of jet thermal oxidation testing results. The IHT uses a RFID (radio-frequency identification device) to electronically store information, including the deposit rating and the differential pressure curve, from the JFTOT test. The same accurate technology used for the traditional Alcor heater tubes is enhanced since the IHT electronically stores all the important data from Alcor’s JFTOT® instruments directly onto the heater tube. Alcor by PAC is the known leader in jet thermal oxidation testing with over 30 years of experience manufacturing heater tubes and 40 years manufacturing jet fuel thermal oxidation analyzers.

“Traditionally, archiving data meant keeping heater tubes and data transcripts separate, which can create issues since quality audits require matching the data with the heater tubes used in the analysis,” says Larry Spino, PAC Jet Fuels Applications Product Manager. “With the IHT, our customers can now easily store results directly with the heater tube.. This keeps tube and results data together, which ensures accuracy and traceability while reducing any unnecessary time researching results for an audit.”

 

May 2012
BioDiesel All In One

PAC is pleased to announce the release of its next generation AC Analytical Controls® Biodiesel All in One, which quickly determines the quality of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in blending stock for diesel fuel. This recent release is compliant with the latest updates on relevant biodiesel methods, including EN 14103:2011, EN 14105:2011, EN 14110 and ASTM D6584_10. In addition, the Biodiesel All in One also reports iodine value according to prEN16300. In 2011, two leading biodiesel standards, EN 14103 and EN 14105, were updated and now require a programmable zone each. To comply with these latest standards and allow both columns to remain in position, the Biodiesel All in One now features a proprietary, programmable secondary oven. Both column ovens can be ramped and controlled individually according to the different method requirements. Therefore all methods can be run from the same analyzer, increasing laboratory productivity as there is no need for the operator to remove columns or other hardware when switching applications. With the new proprietary secondary programmable column oven, the Biodiesel All in One not only ensures compliance and saves time, but its small footprint also lowers costs and saves valuable laboratory space. This unique analyzer maximizes system uptime in the lab as maintenance time is traded for analysis time. The Biodiesel All in One includes intuitive software providing dedicated correlations and calculations, which makes it easy to use. “Complying with industry standards is a must in the refinery and petrochemical industry. Therefore, when the leading biodiesel standards were updated in 2011, PAC immediately began development on the Biodiesel All in One to ensure comprehensive compliance in a single system,” stated Daniel Benitez, PAC Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing. “We wanted to bring this solution to the industry, as well as our existing customers. To ensure that the existing PAC Biodiesel All in One user-base can comply with the latest standards, we are also offering an upgrade package containing hardware, software, and reference materials.”

March 2012

Cambridge Viscosity (CVI), the global leader in small sample fluid viscosity measurement, has joined the PAC group.

In making the announcement, Jeroen Schmits, PAC President, said, "We are pleased to welcome Cambridge Viscosity to the PAC family, where their proven technology and leadership in their field will complement PAC's wide range of analytical resources for our global customers. With over 25 years of experience, Cambridge Viscosity has served the oil and gas, paint, ink and coating, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries with highly accurate and exceptionally reliable in-process and laboratory viscometers. We're excited that their expertise will now be available to our customers as part of PAC's comprehensive portfolio of solutions."

With its patented, proprietary electromagnetic-based sensor technology, CVI offers several lines of viscometers that are the gold standard in the viscosity measurement equipment industry. These products will continue to be branded as Cambridge Viscosity under the PAC name.

Existing CVI customers will now benefit from the full range of comprehensive customer service, support, and solutions available to all PAC customers. In addition, "PAC customers will benefit from a broader and more complete viscosity portfolio that is applicable both in the lab and online, which is key for our customers to automate measurements and keep their process operating optimally," according to Daniel Benitez, PAC VP Product Management & Marketing.

"Cambridge Viscosity will continue to advance our technology, products, and services to meet the needs of our customers while capitalizing on PAC's global reach and technology base," stated Robert Kasameyer, President of CVI. "CVI will be joining a company with passion for growth through product and market development, with a long history of product innovation, and a constant challenge to take the company to the next level," he added.

July 2011
VIDA 80 Density meter

The new ISL VIDATM by PAC is a fully automated density analysis meter that offers an incredibly simple and easy approach to obtaining highly reliable density measurements of many different fluids from industrial to food and beverage and pharmaceutical/medical products. VIDATM is user-friendly, easy to set up and use, and fully automated, with simple one-push-button operation, so it doesn't require a highly-trained operator; and this same automated operation ensures highly reliable results every time it's used. VIDATM is based on the proven oscillating U-tube method and integrates innovative features that ensure reliable and accurate analysis in compliance with ASTM D4052*, ASTM D5002, IP 365 (ISO 12185) and DIN 51757. VIDA's high level of automation, powered by embedded ‘smart' software, allows non-assisted operation during the entire test cycle, reducing the operator's workload and freeing them up to attend to other tasks in the meantime. Measurements are reliable, repeatable, and consistent, providing accurate analysis of a wide range of fluid types, even highly viscous. VIDATM features an intuitive color touchscreen interface for easy menu navigation, test progress follow-up and offers a clear, easy to understand test configuration. VIDATM features a unique built-in automatic bubble detection system*, an innovative and robust measuring cell for high precision, an integrated ultrasonic cleaning device, and many other unique features.

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