Routine Maintenance is essential for a good life of your EGA TG-IR interface and to conduct daily high-quality analysis of evolved gases. We suggest running a Preventive Maintenance (PM) periodically to check the right functionality of all parts. We usually suggest every 6 months or more frequently if there is a heavy use…
Turn off the instrument and wait until it cools down completely before performing any operation.
In the picture: o-rings, exhaust tubings and used KBr Windows.
1. Check IR Cell Windows and Gaskets.
Extract the cell from the FTIR sample compartment and follow the instructions to reach the cell caps and to remove them.
Replace the internal gaskets if they are too crushed or worn. They must be able to seal the cell and hold the window in place. Change windows if they are dirty, streaked or very dull. If you have the special cleaning kit for the KBr windows, you can proceed with cleaning instead of changing them.
2. Check Filters.
Inside the electronical controller there are filters which clean the flow path before expelling it. Examine them by following the instructions given in the user manual and if they are very dirty, replace them.
3. Check and replace exhaust tubes.
Exhaust tubes is the gas flow path from the IR Cell to the controller/pump. Check if it for any dirty traces or slightly black spots along the path. In case, proceed with the replacement.
4. Check sniffer tube for the TGA.
Transfer line inner tube TGA-side could get dirty around and near the entrance, especially in case of analysis with the presence of huge volatile residues. It is good practice to raise the TGA furnace temperature after each analysis and to introduce ambient air to burn off any possible residue from the concluded analysis before running a new one.
Deposits are visible to the naked eye… Clean the sniffer with a little piece of sandpaper or a small drill bit and a cloth soaked with a solvent. Remember always to run a blank run to eliminates any old traces.
5. Control the entire path flow.
We recommend checking flows at the end of the PM. First of all, set TGA flows and verify that are consistent with the value set in the TGA software. Then set the TG-IR flow and check it if coherent. For more information about the correct procedure for each TGA model ask us!
Please Note: before starting with any PM procedure, please be sure to have all the maintenance kit with you, in case you need to change some parts. Moreover, we have a maintenance kit for TL8000 available with all parts needed for a complete refurbish and check.