Cleaning The Ion Sweep Cone, Spray Cone, And Ion Transfer Tube; Purging The Oil In The Forepump - Thermo Scientific LTQ Series Hardware Manual

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Cleaning the Ion Sweep Cone, Spray Cone, and Ion Transfer Tube

Purging the Oil in the Forepump

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7. Let the solution flow through the sample transfer line, sample tube, and API probe for
15 minutes.
8. After 15 minutes, turn off the flow of liquid from the LC to the API source as follows:
a. Leave the API source (including the APCI vaporizer, sheath gas, and auxiliary gas) on
for an additional 5 minutes.
b. Click the Pump Off or Stop Pump button.
9. After another 5 minutes, click the On/Standby button to select the Standby mode.
Clean the ion sweep cone, spray cone, and the ion transfer tube on a regular basis to prevent
corrosion and to maintain optimum performance of the API source. A good practice is to
wash or flush the ion sweep cone and ion transfer tube at the end of each operating day after
you pump a solution of 50:50 methanol/water from the LC system through the sample
transfer line, sample tube, and API probe (see
Tube, and API Probe" on
buffer or inject high concentrations of sample, you might need to clean these parts more
often. It is not necessary to vent the system to flush the ion sweep cone and ion transfer tube.
CAUTION When the ion transfer tube is installed, do not flush it with cleaning solution,
which flushes the residue into the mass spectrometer.
For detailed instructions, refer to Chapter 8 in the LTQ Series Getting Started Guide.
Purge (decontaminate) the oil in the forepump daily to remove water and other dissolved
chemicals, which can cause corrosion and decrease the lifetime of the forepump. The best
time to purge the oil is at the end of the working day after you flush the API probe, ion sweep
cone, and ion transfer tube. For instructions, refer to the forepump's documentation.
IMPORTANT Remember to close the purge valve before continuing normal operation.
"Flushing the Sample Transfer Line, Sample
page 49.) If you use a mobile phase that contains a nonvolatile
4
Daily Operation
After Operating the LTQ Series System
LTQ Series Hardware Manual 51