Uninterrupted and Maintenance-Free ICP Operation
It is standard practice to use dry argon for the nebulizer gas in ICP to generate an aerosol and transport the sample to the plasma. However, with samples containing high amounts of total dissolved solids (TDS) there is an increased likelihood of salt deposits forming at the tip of the nebulizer and injector which can result in significant analytical drift in or even an extinguished plasma. To successfully measure challenging sample matrices with high TDS, it is important to optimize your ICP sample introduction system including a:
- Suitable, high TDS nebulizer (e.g. SeaSpray™ or DuraMist™)
- Double-pass, cyclonic spray chamber to filter out large droplets (e.g. Twister™)
- Wide bore injector (2.0mm ID or greater)
- Humidified argon nebulizer gas supply
Adding an argon humidifier such as the Elegra, will reduce maintenance and the chance of an extinguished plasma owing to a blocked nebulizer or injector.
Design
The elegant design of the Elegra is compact and made of inert, metal-free materials so it is easier to fit into the often crowded, harsh environment of the sample compartment of any ICP.
The novel, highly efficient membrane technology adds moisture to the argon nebulizer gas without the need for pressurization or electrical heating. The Elegra can be configured as either a:
- Single-channel version with a bypass switch to turn humidification on and off
- Dual-channel version for simultaneously humidifying the nebulizer gas and auxiliary/dilution gases often used in ICP-MS
The Elegra is available in range of configurations with customized gas connectors to exactly suit your ICP.
Easy Installation
For easy and straight forward installation on any ICP instrument and with any nebulizer, each Elegra Kit is packaged with customized gas connectors to exactly suit your ICP. A detailed assembly guide is also included.
Superior Performance
The relative humidity (RH) added by the Argon humidifier will determine the efficiency and overall performance as to how well the accessory can slow and prevent salt build-up at the nebulizer and injector. As a comparison of humidification efficiency, the RH output of the Elegra was compared to another commercially available argon humidifier that requires a power supply and heating element, which is referred to as Brand-X. The Brand-X model was specifically selected in this comparison as it is listed as the supplier’s “enhanced humidification model.”
At an argon gas flow rate of 0.7 L/min and in heated mode, Brand-X is 25% less effective compared to the Elegra, which requires no power supply, electrical cords, or added heat. With no added heat, at room temperature Brand-X produced 60% less RH on average compared to the Elegra.
The nebulizer is a critical component of your ICP sample introduction system, so why not opt for the highest quality? Glass Expansion has been manufacturing ICP nebulizers since the early 1980s and continually updates nebulizer designs to improve performance and ease of use. Whether your ICP laboratory is analyzing clean aqueous samples, samples containing HF and/or high dissolved salts, or volatile organic solvents; Glass Expansion has a nebulizer to suit your needs.
For those customers familiar with Glass Expansion’s original humidifier design, the Capricorn™, you can rest assured that the Elegra is an upgraded design with equivalent RH performance. Two Capricorn units, labeled A and B, were compared to two Elegra units, also labeled A and B, to ensure that the Elegra was an equivalent replacement to the original humidifier design. After 5 minutes, both the Elegra and Capricorn average out to a stable RH of approximately 92%.
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