Operation Manual______________________________________________________________Maintenance
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11-2
TIP CARE
The probe tip may be sterilized either by immersing in boiling water or in a detergent
bactericide and a disinfectant.
Before each experiment, and after tuning, place the probe tip in water or alcohol and turn
the power on for a few seconds to remove residue. The tip also can be sterilized using
alcohol with the power on. Proper handling precautions must be taken while sterilizing with
alcohol.
The sides and end of the tip must NEVER be allowed to come in contact with anything but
the solution. When using a microtip, the stress resulting at the point of contact with the
vessel could cause the microtip to fracture. Standard probes will not fracture if they come in
contact with the vessel, but can damage the vessel.
Touching the vessel wall with the tip will release tiny glass and titanium particles into the
sample which may gray the solution. The particles will form a thin dark gray layer on
centrifuging but usually have an insignificant effect chemically.
Proper care of the probe is essential for dependable service. The intense cavitation will,
after a prolonged period, cause the tip to erode, and decrease the efficiency of the
sonication process without showing up on the power monitor. The smoother and more
polished the tip, the more power will be transmitted into the liquid. Any erosion of the probe
tip will increase the rate of future erosion. For that reason, it is recommended that after
every 5 or 6 hours of use, the tip be examined, and if necessary, polished with a fine emery
cloth. Since the probe and tip are tuned to vibrate at a specific frequency, it is most
important that only the contaminated surface be removed. If tip or horn is excessively
eroded, replace the tip or horn as in instructions in 6-3 & 6-4. When changing the tip, check
for wear in all mating surfaces. If the horn itself is worn or damaged, replace the horn as
well. Retune the generator to the probe whenever a probe or tip is replaced.
