Tiger, Tiger Select, Titan 2, Falco or Cub: How to Choose an Ion Science PID Detector for the Job

When a customer comes to us asking for "a VOC gas detector", our first question is: what exactly is it for? Finding a leak at a flange, protecting a worker during a shift, continuously monitoring a pump house or measuring benzene against a gasoline background are four different tasks, and the Ion Science range has a dedicated instrument for each. Buying one "universal" detector to cover everything does not work.

Below is how the range is structured, how the models differ and which kit suits typical sites.

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Three questions that drive the choice

1. Who or what is being protected? A person (personal instrument), a zone (fixed) or a survey task (portable).
2. What is being measured? Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) or a specific substance, benzene.
3. For how long? A 2–3 hour walkdown, an 8–12 hour shift or around the clock.

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The Ion Science range at a glance

Model	Type	Measures	Main task
Tiger XT	Portable, pumped	TVOC, 1 ppb to 20,000 ppm	Surveys, leak detection, LDAR, confined space entry
Tiger XTL	Portable, pumped	TVOC, typical industrial ranges	Routine walkdowns, less critical points, training
Tiger Select	Portable, pumped	TVOC + benzene / total aromatics (TAC)	Selective benzene monitoring at refineries, fuel stations, chemical plants
Cub	Personal, wearable	TVOC	Protecting an individual worker, exposure logging
Falco	Fixed	TVOC	Continuous zone monitoring, signal to SCADA
Titan 2	Fixed	Benzene	Continuous selective benzene monitoring

All Ion Science PID instruments share a sensor with Fence Electrode technology, which reduces the effect of humidity and contamination on readings. In Kazakhstan, with its temperature swings, fog on the Caspian coast and dust, this is no small thing: a conventional PID drifts in such conditions.

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Portable: Tiger XT, Tiger XTL, Tiger Select

Tiger XT is the main survey instrument. Its wide range from 1 ppb to 20,000 ppm lets one instrument find trace leaks and high concentrations at the source. A response time under 2 seconds means the operator sees the change while the probe is still at the flange. ATEX / IECEx certification allows work in hazardous areas. Memory for 120,000 data points supports LDAR programmes and reporting.

Tiger XTL is a simplified model on the same sensor. It suits routine walkdowns where extreme ranges and extended logging are not needed, and works as a second or third instrument in the fleet so that every area does not need the top model.

Tiger Select is for when you need to know not "how much organics in total" but "how much benzene". It works in TVOC mode for screening and in Select mode with a selective tube to measure benzene. More in the article on benzene monitoring at refineries.

Choosing between them: if the site has benzene and aromatics, at least one Tiger Select is essential. For general surveys and LDAR, Tiger XT. For high-volume walkdowns in addition to the XT, XTL.

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Personal: Cub

Cub does not look for leaks; it protects a person. Clipped to clothing in the breathing zone, it runs the whole shift, gives audible, vibrating and visual alarms when a threshold is exceeded and logs individual exposure for occupational health reports.

Where it is needed: workers in zones with VOC risk, contractors cleaning tanks, laboratory staff, personnel in paint shops and solvent stores. If a worker already carries a multi-gas detector (O₂, LEL, H₂S, CO), Cub does not replace it but complements it: a multi-gas detector does not see toxic VOCs at ppm levels.

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Fixed: Falco and Titan 2

Falco is a fixed PID for continuous TVOC monitoring of a zone. Typhoon technology protects the sensor from condensation, allowing installation on open-air sites. 4–20 mA, Modbus and relay outputs integrate it into the site gas safety system. It suits tank farms, loading racks and solvent workshops.

Titan 2 is a fixed monitor specifically for benzene. It is needed where the hydrocarbon background is high but benzene is what must be controlled: aromatics pump houses, gasoline and reformate loading points, sampling points.

Choosing between them: if the controlled substance is a single one and it is benzene against other hydrocarbons, Titan 2. If the task is general control of organics in a zone, Falco.

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Typical kits by site

Site	Portable	Personal	Fixed
Refinery, units with aromatics	Tiger XT + Tiger Select	Cub for unit personnel	Titan 2 at pump houses and loading, Falco across the site
Fuel terminal	Tiger Select	Cub for loading operators	Titan 2 / Falco at the rack
Chemical plant, solvents	Tiger XT	Cub	Falco in workshops
Paint and solvent store	Tiger XTL	Cub as needed	Falco
Environmental team, soil surveys	Tiger XT	—	—
Gas rescue service	Tiger XT + Tiger Select	Cub	—

The number of instruments depends on the number of shifts, areas and spare requirements during calibration. For every instrument that goes out for verification or repair there should be a spare, otherwise walkdowns stop.

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What a PID does not measure and how to cover it

A PID with a 10.6 eV lamp does not see methane, ethane or propane, nor inorganic gases such as CO and H₂S in the ranges covered by electrochemical sensors. These tasks need other instruments:

• methane and flammable gases: catalytic and IR sensors in multi-gas detectors;
• helium, hydrogen, refrigerants: the Panther PRO thermal conductivity leak detector;
• SF6: dedicated Ion Science leak detectors and Rapidox SF6 gas analysers;
• compressed gas leaks of any composition: ultrasonic leak detection.

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Summary

Choosing a PID detector means choosing for the task, not for the budget. Portable Tiger XT for surveys, Tiger Select for benzene, Cub to protect a person, Falco and Titan 2 for continuous zone monitoring. The right kit almost always includes instruments from two or three groups.

KEG TRK is the Ion Science supplier in Kazakhstan. We will help put together a kit for your site, select consumables and arrange calibration. More on the technology in the article on Ion Science PID detectors.