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cleaning_sweep_cone_and_ion_transfer_tube.md

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QE Cleaning Sweep Cone & Ion Transfer Tube

Every 2-3 weeks or as needed when sweep cone is visibly dirty.

  1. Lower capillary temperature to below 150°C this may take ~30 minutes. Put heater temperature to 0°C. Press Apply.

  2. If the mass spectrometer was recently in operation, allow the ion source housing to cool before you touch the external metal surface.

  3. Disconnect the LC line from probe before removing the source housing from the mass spectrometer.

  4. Remove the drain tube from the bottom of the ion source housing drain.

  5. Rotate the ion source housing locking levers 90 degrees to release the ion source housing from the mount assembly.

  6. Remove the ion source housing by pulling it straight off the ion source mount assembly, and place the housing in a safe location for temporary storage on right or left side.

  7. Wear gloves and remove sweep cone with red handled screwdriver by computer (3 screws to be loosened but not removed). Lay sweep cone on paper towel in hood.

  8. Use q-tips in the left side of drawer next to hood. There is aluminum oxide in 50/50 water/methanol next to solvents by LC. Use this to polish front of sweep cone. Rinse with Optima water until there are no visible particles.

  9. After polishing submerge sweep cone in a beaker with Optima water and sonicate for 10 minutes. May need to rinse off with Optima water a few times to ensure no particles left before placing in methanol. Then pour off water and replace with chromsolv plus methanol and sonicate 10 minutes. Pour methanol off and set sweep come upright on chemwipe to dry.

  10. The ion transfer tube can be removed when capillary temperature is below 150°C. The removal tool is in top draw to the right of computer. Slide on and use screwdriver as a lever through the holes. Twist out slowly and once past the threading start to pull as you continue to twist at this point you are no longer using tool but your fingers. System should stay under vacuum.

Make sure that O-ring stays in the front of instrument when you remove the transfer tube.

  1. Immediately replace with the other ion transfer tube that should be in the same draw as tool and be clean. Use a twisting motion as you press in and then tighten with tool. Check the Tune to ensure vacuum did not break.

  2. Clean the ion transfer by sonication in 1% aqueous formic acid for 10 minutes, followed by water sonication for 10 minutes, and finally sonication in methanol for 10 minutes. Let ion transfer tube sit on a chemwipe to dry before putting in the plastic tube and back in drawer. NEVER put the ion transfer tube away dirty. You must clean it immediately. If you suspect it is extremely dirty the first step can be replaced with 10% nitric acid or equal volumes ACN/water/IPA with 1-2% Formic acid. Always follow with water then methanol sonications.

NOTE: You will not be able to calibrate instrument until 90 minutes after it is in service mode. Try to lower capillary temperature and let cool instead of putting in service mode to clean.

NOTICE: When the source housing is removed, the Tune software displays a message box to indicate that the ion source is open. After the source is open for 60 minutes, the system automatically switches into Off mode. If this happens the instruments electronics have been shut off and will not turn back on until source housing replaced and calibration will not be allowed until 80 minutes have passed.