HATR Sampling Accessory User’s Guide . 13
Contamination Check
The surface of the crystal must be clean before a measurement is taken. The contamination
check can be used to ensure this. If the crystal is not properly cleaned, you may observe
negative bands in the spectra.
Cleaning the crystal
Once data has been collected, clean the crystal using a cotton bud or cotton wool moistened
with water or an organic solvent. Take care not to scratch the surface of the crystal. Ensure
the crystal is completely dry before re-use.
Top plates can be cleaned at the same time as the crystal. However, we recommend that you
remove the top plate from the accessory before cleaning, as a safeguard against spillage.
Do not leave the top of the accessory uncovered for long periods of time. Always place the
dust cover over the accessory when the top plate is removed.
Contamination Ready Check
NOTE: For information about setting up Ready Checks see the Spectrum on-screen Help. The
following description assumes that Ready Checks are already set up and enabled.
To perform a Ready Check:
1.
From the Measurement menu, select the Instrument Checks sub-menu and then
Contamination
from the Ready Checks available.
The Ready Checks dialog is displayed.
2.
Make sure that you have removed your sample and cleaned the top plate, and then click
Scan
.
A new background spectrum is collected, compared to the reference background
spectrum and the result of the test is displayed.
3.
If required, click the link that enables you to see a print preview of the Instrument
Ready Checks Report.