The Ion Science SF6 LeakCheck P1:p XTL HighSENSE is a portable, SF6-specific leak detector built on Ion Science's patented Negative Ion Capture (NIC) principle — a technology Ion Science developed expressly to replace radioactive Ni-63 electron-capture detectors. The older ECD instruments carried a radioactive source requiring licensing, consumed high-purity argon, suffered long downtime after high exposure, and had to be returned to the factory for costly detector repairs. NIC removes all of that while delivering the sensitivity needed to pinpoint genuinely small leaks.

SF6 has a global warming potential roughly 23,900 times that of CO2 and an atmospheric lifetime of about 3,200 years, and it is one of the gases named under the Kyoto Protocol. It is also expensive. There is currently no suitable substitute for SF6 as an arc suppressant in high- and medium-voltage switchgear, so containment — finding and fixing leaks — is the only available control. New switchgear is tested to leak rates on the order of 10^-8 ml/sec, and as regulated limits tighten, only a true point detector can pinpoint leaks at those levels.

APPLICATIONS

Substation SF6 Leak Surveys: GIS, circuit breakers, busbars, bushings, and interconnects.

SF6 Emissions Reporting and Reduction Programs: Locating and quantifying fugitive losses for compliance.

Switchgear Manufacturing QA: Factory acceptance testing against tight leak-rate specifications.

Post-Maintenance Verification: Confirming seals and gaskets after gas handling work.

Gas Inventory Loss Investigation: Tracing where topped-up SF6 is actually going.

WHY THE P1:P XTL HIGHSENSE

• Negative Ion Capture — no radioactive source, no licensing, no argon supply

• HighSENSE specification for locating very small leaks

• Pinpoints the leak location rather than only confirming one exists

• Fast recovery after high-concentration exposure keeps surveys moving

• Field-replaceable Smart Sensor assembly — no factory return for detector service

• Optional C4-FN upgrade and European language pack

PROBES, CONSUMABLES & CALIBRATION

P1 Smart Sensor assemblies, probe filters, 25 mm standard and 300 mm flexible probe tips, hose filters, Lemo connector O-rings, plus SF6 CalCheck units and 0.01%, 0.1%, and 1.0% SF6 canisters are all stocked. Browse Ion Science Parts and Accessories, or see the full range in Ion Science.

Note: SF6 CalCheck units and their gas canisters ship as Dangerous Goods under UN1950.