When To Use The Seal Wash Option - Agilent Technologies 1200 Series Manual

5
Optimizing Performance

When to use the Seal Wash Option

When to use the Seal Wash Option

Highly-concentrated buffer solutions will reduce the lifetime of the seals and
plungers in your pump. The seal wash option allows to maintain the seal
lifetime by flushing the back side of the seal with a wash solvent.
The seal wash option is strongly recommended when buffer concentrations of
0.1 Molar or higher will be used for long time periods in the pump.
The seal wash option can be ordered by quoting part number 01018-68722 (kit
contains all parts needed for one pump head). The active seal wash option kit
can be ordered by quoting part number G1311-68711.
The seal wash option comprises a support ring, secondary seal, gasket and
seal keeper for both plunger sides. A wash bottle filled with water
/isopropanol (90/10) should be placed above the pump in the solvent cabinet
and gravity will maintain a flow through the pump head removing all possible
buffer crystals from the back of the pump seal. For the active seal wash a
peristaltic pump is pumping the solvent through the pump head.
Running dry is the worst case for a seal and drastically reduces its lifetime. The seal will
N O T E
build up sticky layers on the surface of the plunger. These sticky layers will also reduce the
lifetime of the primary seal. Therefore the tubes of the wash option should always be filled
with solvent to prolong the lifetime of the wash seal. Always use a mixture of bidistilled
water (90 %) and isopropanol (10 %) as wash solvent. This mixture prevents bacteria
growth in the wash bottle and reduces the surface tension of the water.
For information on the installation of the active seal wash option refer to
"Installing the Seal Wash Option"
58
on page 94.
1200 Series Quarternary Pump User Manual