Activated Research Company [ARC] is an innovative award-winning product development company with expertise in micro-reactor design, heterogeneous catalysis, and separations. Their goal is to significantly improve gas and liquid chromatography – and their products deliver results across industries that require chemical analysis – including petrochemical, manufacturing, paints and coatings, flavor and fragrance, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, environmental, forensics, and others.
Interview with Linda Hofflander, Vice President Global Channels and Alliances at Activated Research Company.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Linda Hofflander: ARC focuses on consumable add-on appliances for GC-FID chemical analysis. ARC’s products are easy to install, easy to use, and easy to maintain – all of which directly reduce lab downtime, increase lab throughput, and impact your bottom line.
The Polyarc® System is a catalytic microreactor add-on to existing GC/FIDs that converts all organic compounds to methane for a universal carbon response.
The JetanizerTM is a methanizer that enhances the analysis of CO and CO2 by converting them to methane within the FID jet.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
L.H: ARC has expanded its innovation into Liquid Chromatography with the introduction of the Solvere currently available only in the United States for Polymer analysis, with plans for global rollout and application expansion in 2024.
The Solvere is a new LC detector that brings the benefits of the Flame Ionization Detector (FID) to LC. Using ARC’s expertise in catalysis and reactor design, a novel method was developed for removing volatile compounds, which allows for the use of both aqueous and organic solvents with the detector. Non-volatile components in the sample stream are transformed into the gas phase, converted to methane, and then detected by the FID with a linear range of five orders of magnitude.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
L.H: ARC’s range of products includes reactors, detectors, and methanizers to GC x GC modulation.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
L.H: Arc’s flagship product the Polyarc System is most active in:
- Methanizer for CO/CO2 with frequent replacements
Improvements: Lower operating costs, easier methanizer replacements, higher tolerance to sulfur.
- Quantification of Oxygenated Pyrolysis Products
Improvements: Identify total carbon content of injection, universal carbon response, reduced need for calibration and standards.
- Reaction Byproduct Quantification & Mass Balance Closure – High throughput testing / screening
Improvements: Close out mass balance, faster testing, universal carbon response, reduced need for calibration and standards.
- Polymer Impurity Analysis – Highly substituted organics (formaldehyde, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, trace carbonyl sulfide, trace carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) Improvements: Increased sensitivity, difficult standards, ability to use GC/FID, universal response.
The Jetanizer, a methanizer in an FID Jet, is most active in:
- CO/CO2 in Ethylene and Propylene. Every Polymer, every research lab must use a methanizer.
- CO2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Analysis
- CO/CO2 Industrial Gases
- OFID Methanizer Replacements
- Photo analysis, electron chemistry, and nano materials.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
L.H: Scientists seek to reduce lab downtime, increase lab throughput, and impact your bottom line. Innovation driving lab productivity is in high demand. As it relates to add-on appliance for Gas and Liquid Chromatography trends include: 1) Increased interest in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Analysis, 2) Requests for innovation around challenging Methods, and 3) Polymer Impurity Analysis.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
L.H: As a leader in product innovation, we feel that the most innovative products marketed are those that solve known problems and improve chemical analysis.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?
L.H: ARC anticipates market growth within our category during 2023. Our customers continue to have concern, warranted or not, about supply chain slowdowns and are placing larger orders for consumables than they have in past years. We have begun participation in conferences and events again, post covid, and believe that face-to-face meetings and events will strengthen partnerships, collaboration, and innovation.
