Agilent Technologies 990 User manual

Agilent 990
Micro Gas Chromatograph
User Manual

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2022
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Manual Part Number
G3588-90010
Edition
Third edition, August 2022
Printed in USA
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
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Waigoaqiao Free Trade Zone
Shanghai 200131 P.R.China
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Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or the
like that, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in
damage to the product or loss of
important data. Do not proceed
beyond a CAUTION notice until the
indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or the
like that, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in
personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING notice
until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual 3
Contents
1Introduction
Safety Information 10
Important safety warnings 10
Hydrogen safety 10
Safety symbols 11
Safety and regulatory information 12
General safety precautions 12
Shipping Instructions 14
Cleaning 14
Instrument Disposal 14
2 Instrument Overview
Principle of Operation 16
Front View 17
Front inside view 18
Rear View 19
Rear inside view 21
Communication Ports 23
Connecting a Channel Extension Cabinet 24
Carrier Gas Connection 26
Power 27
Power source 27
Power requirements 27
Disposal 28
Specifications 28
Ambient Pressure 29
Ambient Temperature 29
Maximum Operation Altitude 29
Storage requirements 29
Micro GC Cycle with Constant Pressure 30
Micro GC Cycle with Ramped Pressure 31
3 Installation and Use
Pre-Installation Requirements 34
Inspect the Shipping Packages 34

4Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual
Unpack the Micro GC 34
Review the Packing List 35
Agilent 990 Micro GC Installation 36
Step 1: Connect carrier gas 36
Step 2: Connect to calibration gas or checkout sample 36
Step 3: Install power supply 36
Step 4: Connect to computer or local network 37
Step 5: Install the Chromatography Data System 37
Step 6: Assign an IP address 37
Step 7: Complete Agilent 990 Micro GC configuration in the Chromatography Data
System 38
Create the Test Method 39
Perform a Series of Runs 40
Shut Down Procedure 41
Long Storage Recovery Procedure 41
4 Sample Gas Handling
Installing Sample Inlets 44
Installing and configuring a sample inlet manifold 44
Sample inlet configurations 46
Using the External Filter Unit 47
Heated Zones 48
Connecting a Sample to the 990 Micro GC 49
Front inlet 49
Connecting sample inlet accessories 49
990 Micro GC Optional Pressure Regulators 50
G3588-68863 50
G3588-68864 53
Manual Injection 56
Manual injection guidelines 56
Injection procedure 56
Manual injection flow diagram 58
Manual injection kits 58
5 Micro GC Channels
Carrier Gas 62
Dynamic Electronic Gas Control (DEGC) 63
Inert Sample Path 63

Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual 5
Injector 63
Column 64
Molsieve 5Å columns 65
CP-Sil 5 CB columns 66
CP-Sil 13 CB and CP-Sil 19 CB columns 67
PoraPlot 10 m column 68
HayeSep A 40 cm heated column 69
COXand Al203/KCI columns 70
Volamine Column 71
MES (NGA) and CP-WAX 52 CB columns 72
Column conditioning 73
Replacing Channel Column, Injector Die, and TCD 74
Backflush Option 75
Tuning the backflush time (except on a HayeSep A channel) 77
Tuning the backflush time on a HayeSep A channel 78
Backflush to Detector 79
CP-Sil 5 CB Backflush to detector 79
Al2O3 Backflush to detector 79
Tuning the backflush time 80
To disable backflush 81
Set invert signal time 82
Checkout information 83
C6+ Calorific value calculation 84
TCD Detector 84
6 Channel Exchange and Installation
Replacement Procedure for Micro GC Channel 86
Tools required 86
Channel removal procedure 86
Channel installation procedure 91
7 Replacement Procedures
Removing the Covers 94
Removing the front cover 94
Removing the rear covers 95
Sample Line Replacement 97
Tools required 97
Replacement procedure for Micro GC sample line 97
RTS Filter Replacement 100
Tools required 100

6Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual
Replacement procedure for Micro GC RTS filter 100
Septum Replacement for Manual Injection 103
Septum injection port 103
Genie Filter Membrane Replacement 104
Tools required 104
Replacement procedure for Genie Filter membrane 104
Connecting the External LCD 106
LCD touch screen 106
8Communications
Access the Connection Ports 112
990 Chromatography Data Systems 115
Ethernet Networks 116
IP Addresses 116
Example network configurations 117
Subnet 1 119
Subnet 2 119
USB Wi-Fi 120
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 121
Glossary of network terms 121
External I/O 123
9Errors
Error Handling 128
Error List 129
10 Micro GC Biogas Analyzers
Biogas Analyzer 135
Biogas Analyzer Extended 135
Checkout Information 136
CP-Molsieve channel 137
CP-PoraPLOT U channel 138
CP Sil 5 CB channel 139
Certificate of the Universal Gas Calibration Standard 140
The Biogas Analyzer Method 141
11 Micro GC Natural Gas Analyzer
Agilent 990 Micro GC - Natural Gas Analyzers 144

Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual 7
Introduction 144
Types of Agilent 990 Micro GC - Natural Gas Analyzers 144
Agilent 990 Micro GC - Natural Gas Analyzer A and the Extended Version 144
Agilent 990 Micro GC - Natural Gas Analyzer B and the Extended Version 145
Checkout Information 146
Introduction 146
Natural Gas Analyzer A and the A Extended Version 147
Natural Gas Analyzer B and B Extended Version 154
Certificate of the NGA Gas Calibration Standard 160
Certificate of the Universal Gas Calibration Standard 161
Typical Method Settings for Natural Gas Analyzers 162
Carrier Gas Type Configuration 164
Procedure to change the carrier gas type 165
Method for CP-Molsieve 5A Channel with Carrier Gas Argon 168

8Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual

Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual 9
1Introduction
Safety Information 10
Shipping Instructions 14
Cleaning 14
Instrument Disposal 14
This chapter provides important information about using the Agilent 990 Micro Gas
Chromatograph, Micro GC, safely. To prevent any injury to you or any damage to the instrument, it
is essential that you read the information in this chapter.

1Introduction
Safety Information
10 Agilent 990 Micro GC User Manual
Safety Information
Important safety warnings
There are several important safety notices that you should always keep in mind when using the
Micro GC.
WARNING
When handling or using chemicals for preparation or use within the Micro GC, all applicable local
and national laboratory safety practices must be followed. This includes, but is not limited to,
correct use of Personal Protective Equipment, correct use of storage vials, and correct handling
of chemicals, as defined in the laboratory’s internal safety analysis and standard operating
procedures. Failure to adhere to laboratory safety practices could lead to injury or death.
Hydrogen safety
Hydrogen is a commonly used GC carrier gas. When mixed with air, hydrogen can form explosive
mixtures and has other dangerous characteristics.
WARNING
When using hydrogen (H2) as the carrier gas, be aware that hydrogen gas can create a fire or
explosion hazard. Ensure that the supply is turned off until all connections are made.
Hydrogen is flammable. Leaks, when confined in an enclosed space, may create a fire or
explosion hazard. In any application using hydrogen, leak test all connections, lines, and valves
before operating the instrument. Always turn off the hydrogen supply at its source before
working on the instrument.
•Hydrogen is combustible over a wide range of concentrations. At atmospheric pressure,
hydrogen is combustible at concentrations from 4 % to 74.2 % by volume.
•Hydrogen has the highest burning velocity of any gas.
•Hydrogen has a very low ignition energy.
•Hydrogen that is allowed to expand rapidly from high pressure into the atmosphere can
self-ignite.
•Hydrogen burns with a nonluminous flame which can be invisible under bright light.