Agilent Technologies 1100 Series manual Flow Cell, Solvents

Solvent Information

Solvent Information

Observe the following recommendations on the use of solvents.

Flow Cell

Avoid the use of alkaline solutions (pH > 11) which can attack quartz and thus impair the optical properties of the flow cell.

Solvents

Always filter solvents, small particles can permanently block the capillaries. Avoid the use of the following steel-corrosive solvents:

•Solutions of alkali halides and their respective acids (for example, lithium iodide, potassium chloride, and so on).

•High concentrations of inorganic acids like nitric acid, sulfuric acid especially at higher temperatures (replace, if your chromatography method allows, by phosphoric acid or phosphate buffer which are less corrosive against stainless steel).

•Halogenated solvents or mixtures which form radicals and/or acids, for example:

2CHCl3 + O2 → 2COCl2 + 2HCl

This reaction, in which stainless steel probably acts as a catalyst, occurs quickly with dried chloroform if the drying process removes the stabilizing alcohol.

•Chromatographic grade ethers, which can contain peroxides (for example, THF, dioxane, di-isopropylether) such ethers should be filtered through dry aluminium oxide which adsorbs the peroxides.

•Solutions of organic acids (acetic acid, formic acid, and so on) in organic solvents. For example, a 1-% solution of acetic acid in methanol will attack steel.

•Solutions containing strong complexing agents (for example, EDTA, ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid).

•Mixtures of carbon tetrachloride with 2-propanol or THF.

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