MARKES UNITY 2 installation Guide

TM

UNITY 2

Installation Manual

Version 1.3

(Changes: Sections 2.2 & 2.7)

June 2009

1. UNITY 2 Pre-installation Check List ........................................................................... 2

1.1. Minimum computer specification for UNITY 2 control ............................................ 2

1.2. GC equipment requirements .............................................................................. 2

1.3. Access into the GC oven.................................................................................... 2

1.4. GC configuration/parameter selection ................................................................. 2

1.5. Laboratory location........................................................................................... 3

1.5.1. Space requirements ................................................................................... 3

1.5.2. Quality of the laboratory air ........................................................................ 3

1.5.3. Quality of the laboratory gas lines ............................................................... 3

1.6. Services.......................................................................................................... 3

1.6.1. Power ...................................................................................................... 3

1.6.2. Pressure controlled supply of dry air or nitrogen (purge gas) .......................... 3

1.6.3. Pressure controlled carrier gas supply .......................................................... 4

1.6.4. Filters ...................................................................................................... 4

1.6.5. UNITY 2 and Electronic Carrier Control (ECC) ................................................ 4

1.7. Unpacking UNITY 2 .......................................................................................... 4

2. Installing UNITY 2 ................................................................................................... 5

2.1. Installing the transfer line ................................................................................. 5

2.1.1. Installing the fused silica transfer line insert ................................................. 7

2.2. Connecting the transfer line to UNITY 2 .............................................................. 8

2.3. Installing the cold trap .................................................................................... 11

2.4. Connections to UNITY 2 .................................................................................. 15

2.5. Installing the software .................................................................................... 16

2.6. Running the software...................................................................................... 16

2.7. GC interface logic ........................................................................................... 17

2.8. Installation Checklist ...................................................................................... 18

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 1

1. UNITY 2 Pre-installation Check List

1.1. Minimum computer specification for UNITY 2 control

CPU 400MHz Pentium
RAM 64 MB
Free Disk Space 20 MB
Operating System Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT4, XP (32-bit) and Vista (32-bit)
Minimum resolution 800x600
Other requirements Windows compatible mouse, at least one free serial comms port*

*The PC requires a free serial comms port for communication with UNITY 2. An additional
serial comms port is required for the following accessories:

• each U

• CIA8™ canister accessory

• series 1 Air Server™ (3, 6 or 8 channel)

• series 1 MFC

Note: Neither Series 2 Air Server (3 or 8 channel) nor Series 2 Mass Flow Controllers
(

U-MFC100-2S, U-MFC200-2S

LTRA™

module (i.e. U

) require additional serial ports

LTR

A, U

LTR

A 50:50™, AutoSecure U

LTR

A™)

1.2. GC equipment requirements

UNITY 2 is usually connected to a gas chromatograph configured with appropriate conventional
or mass spectrometer (MS) detectors. No conventional GC injector is required for UNITY 2
operation. Ready and external start connections are required on the GC.

1.3. Access into the GC oven

The UNITY 2 heated transfer line is lined with 0.25 mm I.D., 0.35 mm O.D. uncoated
deactivated fused silica which butt connects with the capillary analytical column inside your GC
oven.

It is important that the heated and insulated portion of the transfer line extends as far as the
skin of the GC oven such that the GC oven heating begins at the point where heating of the
transfer line ends. A 25 mm diameter access hole is thus required into the GC, with a 6.5 mm
hole in the GC inner oven wall. Further information is provided in Section 2.1.

1.4. GC configuration/parameter selection

From a GC perspective, UNITY 2 may simply be regarded as a multipurpose, stand alone GC
injector for capillary or 1/8 inch packed columns. No conventional GC injector is required for
UNITY 2 operation. The rest of the GC system - column, oven, data handling, detector, etc. ­should be configured and used, as per normal chromatographic practice for the analytes of
interest.

If multiple applications are to be carried out or if samples are uncharacterised; for example
when monitoring unknown atmospheres, a good general purpose GC configuration comprises
25-30 m, 0.25mm or 0.32 mm ID, 1 or 2 µm phase thickness bonded methyl silicone capillary
column with a FID or mass spectrometer detector.

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 2

1.5. Laboratory location

1.5.1. Space requirements

UNITY 2 can sit either side of the gas chromatograph.

Efficient cold trap cooling requires at least a 10 cm gap on both sides of UNITY 2

1.5.2. Quality of the laboratory air

UNITY 2 is a powerful concentration device and is often used to determine trace levels of
organic analytes. It is advisable to store and operate UNITY 2 in a clean laboratory
environment with minimal atmospheric concentrations of organic vapours.

1.5.3. Quality of the laboratory gas lines

As UNITY 2 is a concentrator, even trace level contaminant’s in laboratory gas lines can
become significant interferents in the chromatograms produced.

Recommended gas lines are refrigeration-grade copper tubing connected using

approved swage-fittings.

Laboratory gas line joints and connections must never be brazed.

Position the gas supplies as close as possible to the analytical system i.e. such that the

gas lines are as short as possible.

Use a high quality, stainless steel diaphragm cylinder head regulator for the carrier gas

supply.

1.6. Services

1.6.1. Power

UNITY 2 is automatically compatible with all conventional mains power supplies ranging from
90 to 255 V and 50 or 60 Hz. It is not necessary to manually select or switch voltages. The
maximum power consumption of UNITY 2 is 650 W.

1.6.2. Pressure controlled supply of dry air or nitrogen (purge gas)

UNITY 2 requires:

A pressure-regulated supply of dry air or nitrogen (dewpoint lower than -50°C) at

between 55 and 70 psi both to actuate the main valve and to purge the cold trap

box.

It is recommended that a secondary pressure regulator be used to control the supply of dry
gas to UNITY 2 in addition to that controlling the general laboratory line pressure. Any
conventional pressure regulator should suffice for this and suitable pneumatic control may
already be available on your GC. Alternatively, Markes International Ltd. supply a pneumatic
control accessory (P/N U-GAS01) for both air and carrier gas.

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 3

It is recommended that the pressure in the laboratory air line be 10 psi higher than that

supplied to UNITY 2.

1.6.3. Pressure controlled carrier gas supply

Helium is invariably used as the carrier gas for capillary chromatography and nitrogen

for packed column or sensor work.

5.0 grade (i.e. 99.999%) or higher purity helium / nitrogen gas is recommended in
either case.

Although Hydrogen may be used as a carrier gas for standard GC and thermal

desorption applications, care must be taken in case the high temperatures involved in
thermal desorption cause hydrogenation of reactive and / or unsaturated species.

UNITY 2 requires a regulated supply of carrier gas at a pressure to suit the analytical column /
system selected. The UNITY 2 gas flow path has minimum (<2 psi) impact on total system
impedance. Suitable pneumatic control for the carrier gas may already be available on your
GC. The performance of most common capillary columns is optimised at between 1 and 2
ml/min typically requiring between 10 and 30 psi head pressure.

High quality pressure regulators incorporating a stainless steel diaphragm are

recommended for carrier gas control.

The pressure in the laboratory carrier gas line should be at least 10 psi higher than that

supplied to UNITY 2.

1.6.4. Filters

Deoxo and organic filters should be included in the carrier gas line just upstream of connection
to the UNITY 2 - GC analytical system (see Accessories for Thermal Desorption catalogue).

1.6.5. UNITY 2 and Electronic Carrier Control (ECC)

Please refer to the UNITY 2 ECC Installation Manual.

For optimum performance the carrier gas pressure to the ECC module should be regulated to
approximately 10 to 15 psi above the column head pressure.

Note: As ECC only controls the carrier gas, suitable pneumatic control of the dry gas will still

be required. A U-GAS01 from Markes International includes a carrier gas regulator to
step down the carrier pressure and a separate regulator and gauge for control of the
dry air or nitrogen, and is therefore recommended in this case.

1.7. Unpacking UNITY 2

Remove the instrument from its packaging.

It is strongly recommended that the instrument packaging is retained for future use if ever the
system is to be shipped using conventional carriers. Shipping the instrument in non-standard
packaging may irreversibly damage the equipment and invalidate the warranty.

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 4

2. Installing UNITY 2

2.1. Installing the transfer line

UNITY 2 is supplied with a universal transfer line to convey desorbed analytes from UNITY 2 to
a gas chromatograph or other analytical system. The sample path utilises a deactivated fused
silica line (0.25mm I.D. and 0.35mm O.D.) heated over its entire length by means of a
distributed heater and at the GC end by heat conduction from the GC oven. The line is 1 m
long, which is sufficient to reach most gas chromatographs even when a mass spectrometer is
attached.

Note: The parts supplied can be used in other combinations to suit particular instrument
configurations.

1. Through built in access to
the oven region by means of
holes in the side, top or back of
the oven, with "knock out"
sections in the outer casing.

Locate a hole in the inner oven wall with a corresponding

hole leading to the outside of the instrument.

It is usually necessary to displace the oven insulation
material to enable the flexible metal line to be pushed
against the outside of the inner oven wall.

The M6 spacer nut (attached to a 1/4-inch spacer tube on
the transfer line) secures the line casing to
the oven wall allowing the 1/8-inch aluminium sleeve to
protrude into the oven. If the hole in the inner
oven wall is larger than the end of the line, fit one of the
large metal washers from the shipping kit at this point.

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 5

2. If all such access points are

transfer line prior to the spacer nut is used to extend the line

already in use it is possible to
gain entry via an unused
injector or detector port with or
without a heated zone.

As the entry hole will generally be larger than the diameter

of the metal line sleeve, one or more of the large washers
supplied will be needed. If the heated zone block is
particularly deep both the M6 spacer nut and spacer tube
will be needed as shown.

This part of the line derives its heat from the heated zone
block which should be set to run at a temperature 50°C
above the line setting but not above 250°C as the silicone
foam rubber insulation will be damaged.

3. Entry to the GC oven is
through the fan protection grill.

In this situation the 1/4-inch spacer tube attached to the

UNITY 2 Installation Manual 6