3Flex Service Manual
Overview
Aug 2013
2-1
2. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
This chapter describes the systems and components that comprise the 3Flex Analyzer. It includes
graphics showing the location of major systems, modules, and components, as well as functional
descriptions.
Overview
The 3Flex is an automated gas adsorption analyzer with three ports allowing up to three samples to be
analyzed simultaneously. The core analytical engine is composed of an advanced vacuum system, a
versatile analysis manifold, and sensitive pressure transducers on each analysis port. The basic
configuration can be upgraded for vapor and chemisorption analyses and each port can be individually
upgraded for high-quality micropore analyses with 10-torr and 0.1-torr transducers on each micropore
port.
It also features a dedicated port for measuring the saturation pressure (P
0
) on a continuous basis.
Surface areas as low as 0.01 m
2
/g can be measured using nitrogen and as low as 0.001 m
2
/g with the
Krypton option. Up to 1000 data points can be collected allowing the observation of minute details of
the isotherm.
Up to four analyzers can be operated with one computer. The system consists of the analyzer, an
optional SmartPrep degasser for preparing samples, a dry diaphragm roughing vacuum pump, and a
computer for entering analysis and report options.
