Agilent Technologies has acquired the chemiluminescence product line - including a market-leading sulphur detector and a nitrogen detector - from GE Analytical Instruments
Agilent will offer the acquired products as add-ons to its gas chromatographs (GC).
The acquisition includes intellectual property, sales, marketing and manufacturing assets.
The Sievers 355 sulphur chemiluminescence detector (SCD) and Sievers 255 nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCD) products will be integrated into Agilent's chemical analysis solutions unit within its life sciences and chemical analysis business.
The newly acquired product line is targeted to the energy and petrochemical industries.
Sulphur detection is one of the fastest growing sub-segments in the petrochemical market based largely on increasing regulation of sulphur monitoring in fuels worldwide.
Growth in Asia is outpacing the rest of the world market.
The SCD and NCD detectors expand the portfolio of sulphur and nitrogen measurement offerings that Agilent currently provides such as the flame photometric detector (FPD) and the nitrogen phosphorus detector (NPD).
"The Sievers 355 SCD is widely recognised as the market leader in sulphur detection," said Shanya Kane, Agilent vice president and general manager of GC and workflow automation systems.
"With this acquisition, Agilent is pleased to be able to offer this important, complementary sulphur solution to our customers".
Agilent says it provides the industry's broadest selection of GC and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) systems, consumables, software and support, and is the clear global leader in the category.
In addition to hydrocarbon processing, Agilent GC and GC/MS systems are used throughout the pharmaceutical industry and for environmental monitoring, food-safety testing and forensic analysis.
