FAQs
What does PurityPlus Certification Mean?
PurityPlus® producers are a body of Independently Owned Specialty Gas producers in North America working through the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative. A fundamental part of the PurityPlus program is it’s consistent Standard Operating and Quality Assurance Procedures that all producers must meet. Our exhaustive SOP/QA program was originally fashioned, tested and organized by AsteRisk, LLC., a gas-industry consulting company overseen by a long-term employee of Union Carbide/Praxair. PurityPlus® continues to employ AsteRisk for its third-party auditing, as well as operations and safety consulting. http://www.asteriskllc.com/ Elemental to the program are a sequence of levels or tiers that define the capabilities of each member. These tiers define the process and analytical capabilities required to supply gases of defined purities, aligning with generally accepted impurity maximums and analytical tolerances. For example, all certified PurityPlus® producers can package and certify nitrogen and argon to grade 5.0 (ultra high purity.) Moving up in the tiers usually requires the purchase of additional analytical and gas-filling equipment to fill higher purity atmospheric gases. Calibration and verification is accomplished through NIST-traceable standards, most typically SRM’s, and verified by annual round-robin testing.
What is the difference between a single-stage and a dual-stage regulator?
Single-stage regulators decrease pressure in just one step to deliver pressure within a specified range. Regulators crafted like this will show a negligible variation in delivery pressure as the cylinder pressure drops during use. This is why single-stage regulators are most appropriate for applications where a constant outlet pressure is not urgent, where an operator can watch and readjust pressure, or where inlet pressure is steady.
Dual-stage regulators serve the same function as single-stage regulators. That said, delivery pressure remains constant as cylinder pressure decreases. Higher accuracy in pressure control is kept because the pressure reduction is delivered in two steps. Dual-stage regulators are favored for applications calling for a constant outlet pressure throughout the life of a gas cylinder.
What is Traceability?
In our terms, we refer back to two definitions: • NIST – Traceability can be described as an uninterrupted record of documentation (“documentation traceability”) or an unbroken chain of measurements and associated uncertainties (“metrological traceability”). As employed here, the word “traceability” always means “metrological traceability.” • ISO 17025 – “property of a measurement result whereby the result can be related to a reference through a documented unbroken chain of calibrations, each contributing to the measurement uncertainty” PurityPlus® specialty gases’ specifications are verifiable back to NIST’s Standard Reference Materials where such analogous gas standards exist. When particular SRM’s do not exist, equivalent comparable standards are used, either directly sourced from another appointed national government agency outside the US, or by having a gas standard analyzed and certified by NIST or other designated entity.
What does having PurityPlus primary / certified standards mean?
PurityPlus® Specialty Gases offers several grades of calibration gas standards – Custom Mixtures, Certified Standards, and Primary Standards to meet the level of accuracy for your laboratory or production process. All PurityPlus® Specialty Gases are custom-mixed and analyzed, and then properly labeled in one of our independently audited laboratory facilities. Each PurityPlus® Production facility conforms to a strict set of quality-assurance measures and standard operating procedures. Each of these labs have been thoroughly inspected, certified and documented to be compliant with FDA, DOT, OSHA, and EPA requirements – among others – by AsteRisk, a globally known, reputable, independent certification company headquartered in the U.S.
Exposure to hazardous chemicals results in steep fines, penalties, and a compromised workforce. PurityPlus® Specialty Gases meets regulations and ensures compliance with all primary and certified standards.
Questions?
Please contact us with general questions or call (951) 686-7822, and a representative will respond to your request within one business day.