UHP Pressure Regulators (or ultra-high purity pressure regulators) are critical components utilised in many clean applications by industries including semiconductor, food & beverage, pharmaceutical & medical and high-tech research & development. Here you can learn more about the different UHP solutions we offer and how it could help you with your applications.
Full Range of Equipment for Specialty & UHP Gases
We can help with all your gas equipment needs, from source to process. All our components are suitable for use on industrial, food-grade, speciality and ultra-high purity gas types.
Within our range we can offer pressure regulators, supply & switchover boards, diaphragm & line valves, flexible hose assemblies, pipeline equipment, fittings, cylinder connectors and flame arrestors.
Working in partnership Rotarex, with 4 research & development centres, in-house testing laboratories, many university collaborations and simulation departments, we have got you covered.
Selecting the Right UHP Pressure Regulator
There is no compromising when it comes to ultra-high purity gases – you will need a regulator that will suffice reducing the pressure on a UHP line safely and effectively. UHP gases are used a lot in manufacturing processes, from LEDs and photovoltaics to semiconductors, and pressure regulators must meet different requirements depending on the application.
With so many different factors to consider, choosing the correct UHP regulator that performs right for your application can prove challenging. We’d like to help guide you through the selection process, so here are 3 important things we advise you to keep in mind to help you get started:
- Safety – the first critical consideration is what gas will the regulator be used on? Many UHP gases can be flammable, toxic, corrosive and/or oxidising. This means that you will need to consider both the wetted materials and leakage rates.
- For the wetted materials, it is vital that both the body material and elastomer materials (such as the seat or gasket seals) are considered. Aside from the standard 316L Stainless Steel or 316L VAR double melt body options, you may need to review both the flowing media and installation environment. If the unit is going to be used with particularly corrosive media (such as HCL) or installed in demanding environments (where chemicals could splash onto it), it may be worth considering Exotic Alloy materials such as Monel® or Hastelloy® to ensure safe operation. The same can be said for the elastomer materials, where a standard PCTFE seat may not suffice, you may need to consider PVDF, Vepsel® or other special options.
- For the leakage rates, all our UHP regulators from Rotarex undergo stringent helium leak tests before they leave production, so you can count on them to not let any harmful gas escape. These regulators are both 100% functional and helium leak tested, boasting certified max. inboard/outboard leak rates of ≤ 1 x 10-9 mBAR l/sec and at ≤ 1 x 10-7 mBAR l/sec across the seat.
- For the wetted materials, it is vital that both the body material and elastomer materials (such as the seat or gasket seals) are considered. Aside from the standard 316L Stainless Steel or 316L VAR double melt body options, you may need to review both the flowing media and installation environment. If the unit is going to be used with particularly corrosive media (such as HCL) or installed in demanding environments (where chemicals could splash onto it), it may be worth considering Exotic Alloy materials such as Monel® or Hastelloy® to ensure safe operation. The same can be said for the elastomer materials, where a standard PCTFE seat may not suffice, you may need to consider PVDF, Vepsel® or other special options.
- Purity – for the “P” in UHP, it goes without saying that the gases need to stay uncontaminated. For UHP gases used in cleanroom manufacturing processes, such as microchip and semiconductor production, even the smallest imperfection can ruin an entire batch. That’s why all our UHP equipment is assembled, tested and packaged completely in ISO 4 cleanrooms as well as electropolished surface roughness options as per SEMI F19 UHP Grade to improve corrosion resistance.
Depending on the purity grade of the gas being used, as well as the individual requirements for the process/application, you may need to avoid even the nano-sized particles which are produced by thread and spring-based mechanisms. Therefore, we can offer springless/threadless pressure regulator designs in which no moving parts come into contact with the gas at all.
- Precision – you will also need to consider where in the system your UHP pressure regulator will be used. What are the operating conditions that the unit will perform under? Typically, you will need to consider the following 5 factors when investigating a pressure regulator:
- Inlet Pressure (P1 or Upstream Pressure usually in BAR or PSI)
- Outlet/Control Pressure (P2 or Downstream Pressure usually in BAR or PSI)
- Flow Rate (Q usually in m³/h or SCFM)
- Media Temperature (T usually in °C or °F)
- Media (To calculate the Specific Gravity or Molecular Weight/Density)
Not only are these technical factors used to correctly size a CV/KV value for the regulator, they can impact on the choice of model selected to ensure that you get optimal performance. By providing us with these values, we can utilise our extensive calculation tools to size and suggest on a suitable pressure regulator. You can also view our more detailed regulator sizing guide by clicking here.
As an example, if your pressure regulator is installed just after a cylinder, it will potentially need to handle extremely high inlet pressures (up to 240 BAR) and significantly reduce it down to a much lower and controlled outlet pressure. Alternatively, if a pressure regulator is at the end of the line where the inlet pressure may be relatively low, the flow rate will need to be considered to ensure the CV is large enough to cope.
Corrosion Resistance of UHP Pressure Regulators
Many UHP gases used in electronics or research & development industries can have toxic or corrosive properties, and the gas equipment used to transfer and control this media must be completely dependable. There are several factors that could cause your equipment to corrode – whether that is external corrosion caused by environmental factors, such as extreme humidity or salty marine conditions, or internal corrosion caused by a reaction between the equipment and the gas.
Having the right protection in place for your system is vital and by carefully selecting the right product first-time, you can help to preserve your equipment and ultimately extend its lifetime, without sacrificing on high levels of performance.
Once you have selected your material(s) as outlined previously, it could be that you need additional corrosion protection in the form of special surface coating, treatment or finishing. A surface coating of Nickel, Chrome or PTFE via anodisation or painting could help further protect your equipment external corrosion. For extra corrosion protection internally, it may be prevalent to use SiO2 or Silver Coating, or Gold or Platinum plating.
Everything starts with your individual consultation, and if you are unsure of what is the best option for your application then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced team of engineers for guidance. We work hard to ensure that all our customers get the right solution and are guaranteed optimal performance, safety and longevity for all their UHP gas equipment.
Ultra High Purity Pressure Regulator Applications
- Laboratory & Research – regulators designed for specialty gases for use in research, testing, calibration and measurement applications. Specialty gases can include Argon, Helium, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen or various mixes.
- Microelectronics – compact, high performance & cost-effective regulators designed for electronic components, integrated-circuits, chipsets and sensor production applications. These are required to uphold the highest level of tightness, safety and purity standards.
- Food & Beverage – fully compliant regulators designed for freezing & chilling, carbonation of beverages, modified atmosphere packing, temperature control, fresh product preservation and transportation applications.
- Pharmaceutical & Medical – regulators adhering to the highest cleanliness standards designed for use in both hospital/medical environments and process manufacturing facilities. These are often required with easy gas identification and traceability standards.
UHP Regulator Supplier in the UK
Whatever you require for your UHP application, we can help you to find suitable components. To explore our full range of UHP pressure regulators, please visit our subcategory page here. For our full range of instrumentation pressure regulators, you can visit our category page by clicking here.
For technical support on selecting the right UHP regulator for your application, get in touch with our experienced team here.