6-1
Ver.1.36
CHAPTER 6 MAINTENANCE
A pyrolysis GC system is significantly different from a standalone GC in that each component of the
system must work in harmony with the other components in the system. The reliability of the analytical
results depends on the condition of each component; therefore, regular maintenance is extremely
important.
6.1 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
The three components which need attention are the sample cups, the quartz pyrolysis tube, and the
interface needle.
On the support page of the Frontier Lab
’s web site, several maintenance videos are available for your
viewing. These how-to videos will help you perform maintenance procedures. Please visit our web site
at www.frontier-lab.com.
6.1.1 Cleaning sample cups (Eco-cup)
6.1.1.1 About reusing an Eco-cup F
(1) Depending on the types of samples and analytical requirements, sample cups may be reused.
(2) As shown in Fig. 6.1, to reuse a sample cup, red-heat the sample cup for 2 seconds using a
small torch or bake it in a muffle furnace at 600°C for one hour. Depending on the nature of the
samples, polymeric residues (carbon) and inorganic residues may remain in the cup. If this is the
case, physically remove all the residues using a cotton swab and the like, then clean it using
volatile solvents such as acetone and dichloromethane and dry it.
(3) Tests conducted by Frontier Laboratories with polyethylene and polystyrene show that
reproducible pyrograms (n=5) are obtained when the cups are cleaned as described above.
(4) The decrease of deactivation of the sample cup after use depends on the type of samples
analyzed, the amount of sample analyzed, the exposure time at elevated temperature and
heating time at high temperatures when cleaning.
The longer it is heated at high temperatures,
the greater the loss of inertness.
(5) When reusing the cups, analysts must be able to judge whether the cups are acceptable for their
analytical purposes. In particular, when analyzing polar compounds or those susceptible to
thermal decomposition such as brominated flame retardants (PBDE etc.), extra care is required
when reusing sample cups. Analytical precision is strongly dependent upon overall system
inertness and thermal homogeneity.
(6) Sample cups can be cleaned with a solvent. The procedure is described in section 6.1.1.3.
There is a risk of severe burn. Before starting maintenance work, make sure that
the pyrolyzer furnace and interface temperatures are below 50°C.
CAUTION
HOT
