Hardware manual

4-30 Agilent 7500 Series ICP-MS Hardware Manual
4Maintenance
To clean a clogged nebulizer, complete the following steps:
1 Pump 5% Nitric Acid through the nebulizer for 10 minutes while it is still
attached to the spray chamber.
Wear safety glasses and gloves when working with acid.
2 If this does not remove the material clogging the nebulizer, remove the
nebulizer from the end cap.
The sample uptake tube can remain on the nebulizer. Refer to the
“Disconnecting the Babington Nebulizer from the End Cap”
3 Ultrasonic the nebulizer for 10 minutes in 5% Nitric Acid.
Wear safety glasses and gloves when working with acid.
4 Ultrasonic the nebulizer for 10 minutes in pure water.
5 Rinse the nebulizer with pure water after washing.
6 Dry the holes for the carrier gas and the sample using dry argon or
nitrogen.
7 Check the O- rings.
Check the O- rings located on the nebulizer and in the connector between
the nebulizer and carrier gas tube, and replace them if they are cracked or
too loose to seal properly. Wash the O- rings by immersing them in pure
water and dry them gently with a clean laboratory tissue.
If necessary, also replace the end cap O- ring, which is located inside the
nebulizer end cap, and the ferrules, which are located in the connector
between the nebulizer and carrier gas tube.
NOTE
If the gas tubing and sample introduction around the nebulizer leaky even a small amount, it
will cause a sharp signal fluctuation. To prevent leaks, be especially careful not to damage
the O-ring.