Hydrogen Cyanide Detection for Fire, Mining and Industrial Hazards
Alphasense hydrogen cyanide (HCN) sensors provide ppm-range monitoring for fireground environments, mining, wastewater treatment and industrial safety. A-, B-, D- and H-Series formats support everything from compact personal devices to fixed installations.
Sensor Product Overview
Portable & Industrial Safety – A-Series HCN Sensors
- HCN-A1 – A-Series HCN sensor for handheld instruments and portable safety monitors.
Fixed & High-humidity – B-Series HCN Sensors
- HCN-B1 – B-Series HCN sensor for portable/fixed installations in more humid or harsh environments.
Miniature & Wearable – D- and H-Series HCN Sensors
- HCN-D4 – D-Series miniature sensor (0–50 ppm) for clip-on and personal monitors.
- HCN-H4 – H-Series miniature sensor (0–50 ppm) for clipped and wearable devices.
Integrated Smart Technology (IST) HCN Sensor Versions
- HCN-A1-IST | HCN-B1-IST add on-sensor memory and temperature measurement for plug-and-play integration and simplified temperature compensation.
Choosing the Right HCN Sensor by Application
Firefighting & Emergency Response
- HCN-A1 | HCN-D4 | HCN-H4 – Portable and wearable detectors used in fireground and post-incident environments.
Mining and Metallurgy, Wastewater Treatment
- HCN-A1 | HCN-B1 – Personal and fixed monitors for mining/metallurgy and wastewater operations where HCN may be present.
High-humidity or Fixed Installations
- HCN-B1 – Fixed systems in plants and tunnels requiring robust operation in variable humidity.
Key Benefits Across the HCN Sensor Portfolio
- Multiple mechanical formats (A, B, D, H) enable consistent HCN coverage across handhelds, wearables and fixed systems.
- Designed for various applications: industrial safety, environmental air quality and process applications.
- IST “+” variants provide embedded calibration data and temperature sensing.
Why OEMs Choose Alphasense
- HCN sensors share architectures and accessory options with other Alphasense toxic sensors, enabling modular multi-gas platforms.
- Strong support for personal safety applications in fire, mining and industrial environments.
How HCN Gas Sensors Work
HCN sensors use electrochemical amperometric technology: hydrogen cyanide diffuses to the working electrode, generating a sensor current that is measured by the instrument electronics or IST board. A-, B-, D- and H-Series implementations use Alphasense’s standard mechanical envelopes and compensation strategies.
Why Measure Hydrogen Cyanide Gas
Hydrogen cyanide is an extremely toxic gas that can be produced in fires, certain metallurgical processes and some wastewater treatment operations. Measuring HCN allows:
- Protection of first responders and workers in high-risk environments.
- Verification of safe conditions during overhaul and confined-space entry