Agilent Technologies Agilent 7890 Series, Maintenance Manual

Page: 147 / 354

Maintaining the MMI
8
Maintaining Your GC 147
To Clean the Multimode Inlet
This procedure explains how to clean the Multi Mode Inlet
(MMI). Depending on the inlet mode used, the liner installed,
and the cleanliness of the sample, the frequency of cleaning
may range from weekly to monthly. Start with a visual
inspection of the inlet bottom whenever changing the liner.
A small ring of material will collect at the bottom of the
inlet when injecting dirty samples such as food extracts or
solid waste. Try an initial cleaning schedule of every two
weeks for dirty samples and every two months for clean
samples and adjust as needed.
1
Gather the following:
• Cleaning kit, multimode inlet (G3510- 60820). Contains
5 each abrasive swabs and 5 each cotton swabs.
• Solvent for cleaning (at least 25 mL of acetone,
isopropanol, or hexane, whichever is most appropriate
for your sample matrix).
• 100 mL beaker or similar container to the catch
solvent rinse.
2
Load the inlet maintenance method and wait for the GC
to become ready.
3 Turn off the GC.
4 Remove the inlet liner. (See “To Change the Liner and
O- Ring on the MMI” on page 141.)
5
Remove the column from the inlet. (See “To Install a
Capillary Column with the MMI” on page 133.)
6 Place the glass beaker or other container in the GC oven,
below the MMI inlet, so it will catch any solvent that
drips through the inlet body.
WA R N I N G
Be careful! The oven and/or inlet may be hot enough to cause
burns. If the inlet is hot, wear heat-resistant gloves to protect your
hands
.
C A U T I O N
Wear clean, lint-free gloves to prevent contamination of parts with
dirt and skin oils.