6
Maintenance
Completely Disassembling and Reassembling the Ion Source
Thermo Scientific
TSQ Quantum XLS Series User Guide
99
Y
To clean stainless-steel parts
1. Remove contamination from all the surfaces you are cleaning:
a. Use a slurry of number 600 aluminum oxide in glycerol and a cleaning brush or
cotton-tipped applicator. Contamination appears as dark or discolored areas, but
often is not visible. The heaviest contamination is usually found around the
apertures, such as the electron entrance hole on an ion volume.
b. Clean each part thoroughly, even if no contamination is visible.
c.
To clean the inside corners, use the wooden end of an applicator cut at an angle.
d. Use a Dremel
tool with the polishing swab at its lowest speed. This increases cleaning
efficiency as well as decrease the time required to clean the items.
2. Rinse the parts with clean water. Use a clean applicator or toothbrush to remove the
aluminum oxide slurry. Do not let the slurry dry on the metal; dried aluminum oxide is
difficult to remove.
3. Sonicate the parts in a warm detergent solution:
a. Using forceps, place the parts in a beaker containing warm detergent solution.
b. Place the beaker and contents in an ultrasonic bath for five minutes.
c.
Rinse the parts with tap water to remove the detergent.
4. Sonicate the parts in deionized water:
a. Using forceps, place the parts in a beaker containing deionized water.
b. Place the beaker and contents in an ultrasonic bath for five minutes.
c.
If the water is cloudy after sonicating, pour off the water, add fresh water, and place
the beaker and its contents in an ultrasonic bath again for five minutes. Repeat until
the water is clear.
5. Sonicate the parts in acetone:
a. Using forceps, place the parts in a beaker containing acetone.
b. Using forceps, transfer the parts to a beaker containing fresh acetone.
c.
Place the beaker and contents in an ultrasonic bath again for five minutes.
6. Blow-dry the parts immediately. Use clean, dry gas to blow the acetone off the parts.
7. Using forceps, place the parts in a beaker, cover the beaker with aluminum foil, and put
the beaker in the oven.
8. Dry the parts in an oven set at 100
o
C for 30 minutes.
WARNING
To prevent personal injury, be sure to keep the Dremel tool away
from possible hazards, such as standing water or flammable solvents.
