Mira Mist CE
| Liability Note: | The manufacturer assumes NO liability for damage however caused in the handling & usage of the nebulizers. Use at your own risk. |
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CautionDo Not Handle unless you are sure that the nebulizer is dry, or washed with clean water. Acids, particularly HF, often look like water and will wet the end of the nebulizer during usage.WarningThis device operates on compressed gases. Appropriate care must be taken. If in doubt about correct operating procedures, call an experienced operator or call Burgener Research at 905 823 3535.Burgener Mira Mist CE Nebulizers require 70 - 90 psi to have a 1 liter per minute of Argon gas flow. To achieve the required low flow, the operating pressures MUST BE at 1 liter per minute or more. Use a surgeless pump, or a Syringe Pump or Gravity feed to provide the 5 to 10 microliters per minute. |
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IMPORTANT
1. Handling The gas orifice is at the very tip of the nebulizer. It is made of Teflon® which is VERY SOFT. This tip is very easily damaged and should NEVER be touched with fingers, tissues, or anything else. If the tip is accidentally touched, and the nebulizer continues to operate, then it is still functional, and its use can be safely continued. 2. Tightening Gas and Capillary Fittings The Mira Mist CE body is PEEK, which is very strong. It has 10/32 threads for the gas and capillary fittings. Gently tighten until snug, do not force. However if the gas line leaks a bit, try tightening harder. The sample lines should not be tightened past gently snug or the sample tubing will be compressed and no sample will be able to pass through. 3. Dropping and Breakage The Burgener Mira Mist CE Nebulizer body is PEEK. Generally it will not break. If it is dropped such that the tip is deformed, then it will be irreparably damaged. If it continues to operate after being dropped, then it has not been affected, and its use can be safely continued. Operating Instructions The most convenient and best CE interface available. The Burgener Mira Mist CE Nebulizer has no suction or back pressure on the CE capillary, and provides nearly instant delivery of the solution to the torch. The Nebulizer's large sample passage ID enables the CE capillary to pass through the nebulizer to its tip. As soon as the sample flows from the CE capillary, it is swept into the gas stream and atomized. With flows below 15 microliters per minute, the chamber stays dry and the aerosol is delivered immediately to the torch. You get 100% sample delivery to the torch, with virtually no background interferences. With a dry chamber there is no washout time, so the response is as quick as if the CE capillary extended into the plasma. Operating Pressure The Mira Mist CE Nebulizer is a selected standard Mira Mist, that is set to operate at higher pressures. It can operate at very low flow rates when run at 75 to 90 psi. As the pressure is lowered, the lowest flows possible are increased. It will not run low flow at lower pressures. Makeup Flow Rate As long as the nebulizer makeup solution is running at 10 ul/min or less, there should be no drops forming in the mini chamber. If the flow rates exceed 15 ul/min, drops will form and the washout time will rise from less than one second to 30 to 45 seconds. You will not get good results if the inside of the chamber becomes wet. The makeup solution needs to flow at a constant rate. All of the CE solution is swept to the plasma with the makeup flow, and the signal intensity should remain constant even with minor variations in the makeup flow rates. However, our experience has shown that changes in the makeup flow do effect the signal. To achieve a constant makeup flow rate, you can use gravity feed systems or a precise syringe pump. Note that air bubbles can block the makeup flow. Make Up Solution The make up solution can be almost any conductive liquid. The nebulizer is made of PEEK and PTFE, and is safe for almost all liquids, except for H2SO4, high acid concentrations and some solvents. The nebulizer runs very low flows for liquids with low surface tension. Water has very high surface tension and the Mira Mist CE will not give good results for 10ul/min or less on pure water. Add 10% alcohol or a similar liquid to your makeup solution to reduce surface tension to allow the nebulizer to produce a good aerosol for the low flow rates required by the CE system. Replacing the Makeup Capillary The makeup liquid capillary is attached to the nebulizer through a Pt tube in the T fitting. This ensures that the makeup solution will make good contact with the electrode, but is difficult to replace. To replace the capillary, pull out the old one; stretch the end of the new capillary; draw the stretched part through the Pt tube past the stretched part; then cut off and drawn back a bit. The Pt tube must extend a bit past the brown screw fitting before the fitting is tightened. The Pt tube is stopped in the T before it can press against the CE capillary. Electrode Voltage Caution: Always use the GROUND for the electrode on the nebulizer. High voltages are dangerous. Even if the electrode is protected, the rest of the system is conductive due to the conductive makeup solution. Installing the CE Capillary into the Mira Mist CE The Mira Mist CE will allow a 350 micron glass capillary to pass through the nebulizer. If the edges of the CE capillary are sharp, or rugged, then you may damage the insides of the nebulizer. The insides are made of Teflon and are VERY SOFT. Try to cut the glass capillaries smoothly or round the edges. The CE capillary is passed through the orange sleeve to be secured by the UpChurch fitting, then it is passed through the T fitting, through the coupling, and into the nebulizer. Push the Glass capillary SLOWLY, while rotating SLOWLY until it extends out the front of the nebulizer. If you feel resistance, remove it and check for sharp edges that may be catching inside the nebulizer. The capillary should be pulled back into the nebulizer, but only enough so that the liquid from the make up solution will cover the tip of the CE capillary at all times. About 1 mm or 1/8 inch is necessary. If you pull it back too much, the response time increases. If you do not pull it back far enough, you will have poor contact between the makeup solution and the electrode. With the capillary is placed properly, tighten the fitting at the back of the T so that it does not allow the glass capillary to move. To simplify changing the CE capillary, some have installed a short CE capillary in the nebulizer, and then used glass capillary couplings to attach the capillary from the CE instrument to the nebulizer's CE capillary. Final Check List: Use Ground on electrode, not high Voltages. Use 10% + Alcohol in Makeup solution. Push CE Capillary in very carefully while twisting slowly. Run at 10 ul/min or less to avoid drops forming in chamber. Use 75 - 90 psi (6 bar) for nebulizer Argon. |