Operation And Maintenance; Choosing The Solvents - Thermo Scientific Dionex UltiMate 3000 Series Operating Instructions Manual

5 Operation and Maintenance

5.1 Choosing the Solvents

Observe the following precautions for solvent selection:
• Use only HPLC grade water or better LC-MS grade (0.2 µm, filtered).
If water from water purification systems is used that are not properly maintained,
polymeric contamination may seriously damage the column, rapidly block solvent frits,
and result in early piston seal wear.
• Use only standard solvents and buffers that are compatible with all parts of the
UltiMate 3000 system that may be exposed to solvents.
For information about the wetted parts in the Solvent Rack, see the Technical
Information section (→ page 49). For information about the wetted parts in the other
UltiMate 3000 system modules, refer to the 'Technical Information' section in the
operating instructions for the modules.
• Observe also the information about the pH range and buffer concentration in the
Operating Instructions for the other UltiMate 3000 system modules.
• Make sure to use special (highly pure) solvents. They are usually labeled accordingly by
the vendor.
• Mind the special properties of the solvents, such as viscosity, boiling point, UV
absorption (UV/VIS detector), refractive index (refractive index detector), and dissolved
gas (degasser).
• Observe the solvent compatibility of the degasser.
Whenever possible, avoid using the following solvents: hexafluoroisopropanol, solvents
containing hydrofluoric acid, perfluorinated solvents, and freons. For modules with a
serial number < 8014538, you should avoid also hexanes (60% n-Hexane).
• Except for the SDN pumps, the UltiMate 3000 system pumps are shipped with reversed
phase (RP) seals as main piston seals.
Keep in mind that using chloroform, trichlorobenzene, methylene chloride,
tetrahydrofuran, or toluene as solvents chemically damages the UHMW-PE seals.
Chemical reactions may also occur when using tetrachloromethane, diethyl ether, di-
isopropyl ether, ketones, toluene, methylcyclohexane, and monochlorobenzene. If you
use these solvents, contact the Thermo Fisher Scientific sales organization for Dionex
HPLC Products.
Operating Instructions
UltiMate 3000 Series:
SRD-3x00 Solvent Racks
Page 29