Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-1100 User manual

Dionex ICS-1100 Ion Chromatography
System Operator’s Manual
Document No. 065289
Revision 03
October 2012

© 2012 by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved.
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information in this document is for reference purposes only. System configurations
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Revision history: Revision 01 released March 2009; initial release of system
Revision 02 released December 2011; Thermo Fisher Scientific transition
Revision 03 released October 2012; new part numbers assigned
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Doc. 065289-03 10/12 i
1 • Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Introduction to Ion Chromatography (IC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Overview of the Dionex ICS-1100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3.1 Safety Messages and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4 Safety and Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.4.1 Safety Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 • Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 Operating Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1.1 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1.2 Top Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.1.3 Component Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1.4 Right-Side Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.1.5 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2 Flow Schematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.3 Chromeleon and Chromeleon Xpress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.3.1 The Panel Tabset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.3.2 Software Control Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.3.3 System Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Contents

Dionex ICS-1100 Ion Chromatography System
ii Doc. 065289-03 10/12
2.4 System Component Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
2.4.1 Vacuum Degas Assembly (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
2.4.2 Eluent Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
2.4.3 Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
2.4.4 Injection Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
2.4.5 Auxiliary Valve (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
2.4.6 Column Heater (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
2.4.7 Suppressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
2.4.8 DS6 Heated Conductivity Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
2.4.9 ER Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3 • Operation and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
3.1 Operation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
3.2 Turning On the System Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
3.3 Connecting to Chromeleon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
3.4 Set Up the Eluent Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3.4.1 Prepare the Eluent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3.4.2 Degas the Eluent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3.4.3 Filter the Eluent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3.4.4 Fill the Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3.4.5 Set the Eluent Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3.4.6 Connect the Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3.5 Check All Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3.6 Prime the Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Contents
Doc. 065289-03 10/12 iii
3.7 Set System Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.8 Equilibrate the System and Verify Operational Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.9 Prepare Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.9.1 Collecting and Storing Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.9.2 Pretreating Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.9.3 Diluting Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.10 Loading and Injecting Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.10.1 Loading Samples with a Syringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.10.2 Loading Samples with a Vacuum Syringe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.10.3 Loading Samples with an Autosampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.10.4 Injecting Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.11 Processing Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.11.1 Manual Sample Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.11.2 Automatic (Batch) Sample Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.12 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4 • Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.1 Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.2 Troubleshooting Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4.3 Liquid Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.4 Pump Difficult to Prime or Loses Prime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.5 Pump Does Not Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.6 No Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.7 Erratic Flow/Pressure Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73