Jewelry Industry Gas Detection Solution

Jewelry manufacturing involves multiple processes including precious metal refining, alloy preparation, electroplating, cleaning, polishing, and pickling. These processes inevitably use or produce hazardous chemical gases. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hydrogen fluoride (HF), acetonitrile, white spirit (volatile flammable solvent), acid mist, and other VOCs are highly toxic, flammable, and explosive. Some are strictly regulated toxic chemicals. Gas leaks or uncontrolled concentrations may cause acute poisoning, chemical burns, fire, explosion, or severe environmental contamination.

Under strict national laws on production safety, hazardous chemical management, and occupational disease prevention, jewelry companies must establish an effective gas leak prevention system. Nexisense offers a dedicated solution based on the SGA-500 series online gas detector, designed for the unique processes and gas risks of the jewelry industry, enabling full-chain safety management from source monitoring to emergency response.

Main Gas Risks in Jewelry Processing

• Precious metal refining and aqua regia dissolution: HCN, nitrogen oxides (NOx), chlorine gas

• Electroplating and surface treatment: HCN, HF, acid mist (HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃ vapors), ammonia

• Cleaning and degreasing: White spirit, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and other volatile halogenated hydrocarbons or flammable solvents

• Pickling and polishing: HF, nitric acid mist, sulfuric acid mist

• Organic solvent areas: Acetonitrile, acetone, ethanol, and other flammable and toxic solvents

HCN is extremely toxic (IDLH 50 ppm), HF is highly corrosive and penetrative, white spirit vapors have a wide explosion limit (1.1%–6.0%), and acetonitrile has neurotoxicity. Jewelry workshops are often enclosed or semi-enclosed, with limited ventilation, allowing gases to accumulate. High personnel density increases exposure risk.

Core Advantages of SGA-500 Online Gas Detectors

The SGA-500 series is optimized for the jewelry industry using imported first-line sensors, further developed, signal-amplified, stability-tested, and calibrated to ensure high selectivity and long-term reliability.

• Dedicated sensors for common jewelry gases: HCN (0–50 ppm), HF (0–10 ppm), flammable gases (0–100% LEL), acetonitrile, acid mist

• Multiple outputs: 4-20mA analog, RS485 Modbus RTU, relay switch

• Standalone operation: powered directly via adapter

• System integration: seamless connection to PLC, DCS, or SGA-800 alarm controller

• Corrosion-resistant design: housing and sensors withstand acid mist and fluoride corrosion

• Audible and visual alarms + optional local display for clear onsite status

Detectors can use diffusion or pumped sampling to ensure detection in ventilation dead zones or elevated areas.

Building a Jewelry Workshop Gas Alarm System

For multi-workshop, multi-process facilities, a single detector cannot achieve unified management. The SGA-800 alarm controller can connect dozens to hundreds of SGA-500 detectors, forming a facility-wide gas safety network.

• Real-time display of gas type, concentration, and trend curves for each point

• Multi-level alarms and zoned management (pre-alarm, alarm, interlock)

• Automatic interlock: start local exhaust fans, close solvent supply valves, trigger audible/visual alarms when thresholds exceeded

• Data logging and export: historical curves, daily reports, audit compliance

• Optional SMS/WeChat notifications for immediate alert to responsible personnel

Controllers are typically installed in control rooms, administrative areas, or main passages to ensure alarms reach decision-makers quickly.

Recommended Monitoring Points for Jewelry Processes

• Electroplating: above plating tanks and near exhaust hoods, focus on HCN, HF, acid mist

• Pickling/aqua regia area: 30–50 cm above floor and near vents, monitor HF and NOx

• Cleaning solvent area: near storage cabinets and cleaning tables, monitor flammable gases and TVOC

• Precious metal refining: near reactors and filtration equipment, monitor HCN and chlorine

• Storage/mixing rooms: chemical storage entrances and floor areas, monitor volatile solvents

Placement should consider gas density, airflow, personnel paths, and leak history.

Practical Benefits

• Effectively prevents toxic gas poisoning, protecting workers’ health

• Early detection of solvent leaks reduces fire and explosion risk

• Optimized ventilation and exhaust timing saves energy

• Provides traceable monitoring records for safety, environmental, and occupational audits

• Enhances overall corporate safety image and employee confidence

  
  

FAQ

1. Why is HCN monitoring critical in jewelry? HCN is used in gold/silver plating as a complexing agent; extremely toxic, inhalation of small amounts can be fatal (IDLH 50 ppm). Real-time monitoring is essential.

2. Where is HF detection mainly needed? Post-refining pickling, surface activation, oxide removal. HF is highly penetrative and toxic; low-level sensors near workstations are recommended.

3. White spirit and acetonitrile range selection? White spirit: 0–100% LEL; acetonitrile: dual range 0–100% LEL + 0–200 ppm for fire and toxicity protection.

4. How to monitor acid mist? Use electrochemical or IR sensors, typical range 0–10 ppm or 0–50 ppm, installed under hoods or breathing zone with protective filters.

5. How to integrate SGA-500 with PLC/DCS? Via 4-20mA analog input or RS485 Modbus RTU; Nexisense provides protocol and commissioning support.

6. How does SGA-800 manage multiple workshops? Supports 8–64 channels (expandable), RS485 connection, zoned display, independent thresholds, cross-area alarms, and interlocks.

7. Emergency actions after alarm? Stop operations, evacuate, use respirator, close gas/solvent supply, start emergency ventilation, notify safety officer, record concentration/time.

8. How to use monitoring data for compliance? Automatically timestamped data, generate daily reports, trend charts, exceedance reports for occupational limits, chemical management, environmental audits, and safety inspections.

Conclusion

Gas detection in the jewelry industry is essential for safety and sustainable development. The SGA-500 and SGA-800 combination provides precise, reliable, and highly integrated monitoring for high-risk processes like electroplating, pickling, refining, and cleaning.

From deadly HCN to flammable white spirit, from corrosive HF to volatile acetonitrile, targeted monitoring + intelligent interlock + rapid response ensures safety is never left to chance. Jewelry companies should plan and deploy professional gas detection systems based on their processes and chemicals to secure production and employee wellbeing.