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Summary of Contents for MTEC PAC300
- Page 1 MTEC PAC300 Photoacoustic Detector Operating Instructions August, 2023 MTEC Photoacoustics, Inc. 3507 Oakland St. Ames, IA 50014 USA Telephone: 1 515 451 9234 www.mtecpas.com mtec@mtecpas.com...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents 1. First and Foremost: Three Key Precautions to Protect PAC300 from Damage 1.1 Protecting Microphone during Purging ………………………………....3 1.2 Caution to Avoid Breaking Window ……………………………………………….3 1.3 Protecting Window from Moisture Damage …………………………………..3 2. Unpacking 2.1 Unsealing the Hermetically Sealed Shipping/Storage Case ……………..3 2.2 Packing List …………………………………………………………………………………...3... -
Page 3: First And Foremost: Three Key Precautions To Protect Pac300 From Damage
Do not place samples in the brass sample cup that extend above 1 mm from the top of the cup. Samples that extend above the top of the cup will break the PAC300’s window. 1.3 Protecting Window from Moisture Damage The PAC300’s KBr window is moisture sensitive. -
Page 4: Damage Inspection
The PAC300 can also be used with nonvolatile liquid and noncorrosive gas samples which are not toxic. The PAC300 is designed for ease of use. It mounts in the standard FTIR slide- mount fixture or on FTIR specific baseplates. Sample changing, purging,... -
Page 5: Set-Up Directions
The stainless steel rear lever is packed separately from the PAC300 in the shipping case and should be inserted into one of the three slots on the back of the PAC300. Use the slot that allows the lever to rotate most conveniently in your FTIR through the 90 degrees of rotation necessary to purge and seal the sample. -
Page 6: Mounting And Alignment Of The Pac300 In The Ftir
Slots 4.2 Mounting and Alignment of the PAC300 in the FTIR The PAC300 is either mounted on an FTIR specific baseplate or in the standard sample slide mount found in all FTIRs. Baseplate and slide mounted PAC300s are prealigned and usually will not require the adjustments described below. - Page 7 Then block the infrared beam and insert the sample holder with the liquid crystal into the PAC300. Fully open the aperture of the FTIR. Elevate the crystal by moving the rear lever to the CLOSED PURGE position. Remove the beam block, wait several seconds, remove the sample cup, and examine the image pattern before it fades as the temperature falls.
- Page 8 , it may be observed that the infrared beam image on the liquid crystal is large and weak. This may be caused by the PAC300 not being positioned properly relative the IR beam’s focal spot which is normally at the midpoint of the beam’s path through the FTIR's sample compartment.
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Page 9: Electrical Connections
4.3 Electrical Connections The PAC300 is powered either by the FTIR or an MTEC desktop power supply. The power and signal cables are connected to the vibration isolated part of the accessory after first being secured to the stationary part to avoid transmitting mechanical vibrations to the PAC300’s sensitive microphone. -
Page 10: Purge Gas Connections
MTEC flow meter. The flowmeter output is connected to the inlet of the stationary part of the PAC300. Its outlet is connected to the vibration isolated sample chamber. Consult Section 5.5 before purging the PAC300. -
Page 11: Rear Lever Operation
5.3 Sample Cup Loading The PAC300 is supplied with five small and five large sample cups and five brass spacer inserts. The cups and inserts fit into a brass nest which is attached to the black sample holder handle. - Page 12 To avoid breaking the detector window, do not place anything which extends higher than the rim of the brass nest because when the rear lever is rotated to the SEAL location, the rim is located just below the detector window. Anything extending above the rim will be forced into the window and break it.
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Page 13: Sample Cup Insertion
The desiccant is placed in a large sample cup. This cup is inserted into the brass holder, a slotted spacer insert is placed over the desiccant cup, and the slots are aligned to permit gas circulation between the desiccant and sample cups. -
Page 14: Purging
PAC300, reduce the helium flow to zero as per Section 4.4, insert the sample cup into the PAC300 and rotate the rear lever to the SEAL position. Now increase the helium flow to 5 cc/s and rotate the rear lever just to the Closed Purge position and wait 30 s. -
Page 15: Test Procedure
20 volts maximum peak-to-peak) and that the FTIR input is not overloading. 3. If the PAC300 detector initially does not produce a signal, disconnect and then reconnect the telephone connector on the white cable located next to the detector's gain switch. -
Page 16: Advanced Methods Of Photoacoustic Spectroscopy
A general overview of some interesting advanced applications is available here: http://www.mtecpas.com/Docs/Photoacoustic%20Technology%20Overview.pdf. The PAC300 can be used to study samples with depth varying composition in the form of layers and gradients over depth ranges of a few tens of microns. If deeper depths are of interest, MTEC’s MicroLap device (http://www.mtecpas.com/microlap.html) can be used... -
Page 17: User Adjustments And Servicing
SEAL position 6.2 Window Replacement MTEC offers KBR, quartz, CsI, KRS5, and Polyethylene windows. It is recommended that the detector be returned to MTEC for window replacement. If the user prefers to replace the window, follow the following directions. - Page 18 Loosen Remove Loosen the upper vibration isolator nuts and back off the screws as shown to allow the detector to be lifted off the lower vibration isolation platform. The detector’s mirror can now be removed by unscrewing its two attachment screws to expose the four screws of the window’s o-ring compression plate.
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Page 19: Service Assistance
MTEC as a customs broker. This simplifies the return, expedites clearance through U.S. Customs, and saves extra freight forwarder costs to MTEC which are billed back to the customer. Prepay the air waybill through to Ames, Iowa. Consign to the shipping address above, and list MTEC's telephone number (515-292-7974). -
Page 20: Product Warranty And Disclaimer
No other warranty is expressed or implied. If examination by MTEC Photoacoustics, Inc. discloses a product defect, obligation is limited to repairing, replacing, or giving credit for the purchase price, at our option.
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