Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-2000, Operator'S Manual

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Doc. 031857-03 4/06
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1 • Introduction
1.1 Introduction to Ion Chromatography (IC)
The Dionex ICS-2000 Ion Chromatography System (ICS-2000) performs ion
analyses using suppressed or non-suppressed conductivity detection. An ion
chromatography system typically consists of a liquid eluent, a high-pressure
pump, a sample injector, a guard and separator column, a chemical suppressor, a
conductivity cell, and a data collection system.
Before running a sample, the ion chromatography system is calibrated using a
standard solution. By comparing the data obtained from a sample to that obtained
from the known standard, sample ions can be identified and quantitated. The data
collection system, typically a computer running chromatography software,
produces a chromatogram (a plot of the detector output vs. time). The
chromatography software converts each peak in the chromatogram to a sample
concentration and produces a printout of the results.