Perform a Reference Material Analysis
Service Test Mode is required for this test. See Service Test Mode. |
The equipment images in this topic may differ slightly from your equipment; however, the instructions are the same unless otherwise noted. |
- Remove the sample tubes from the degassing unit and reweigh the samples.
- Place the filler rods into the sample tubes. Place the isothermal jackets on the sample tubes and install the tubes on the sample ports.
- Go to Unit [n] > Service Test > PCP Analysis.
- Select the correct sample for the instrument:
- Nitrogen - if the instrument is a nitrogen unit.
- Krypton - if running an alumina sample for a krypton analysis.
- Click Start to begin the analysis.
- When the analysis completes, go to Reports > Start Report to view the report. Locate the report file in the c:\......Data\PCP\ directory. An example of the file name is 1N217-0.SMP where the first digit is the port number (1, 2, or 3), the letter N (for nitrogen), the unit serial number (217), and -0 (1, 2, 3, etc.) to indicate the number of the run.
- Select the report and click Report.
- On the Report Settings window, select Preview as the destination for the report and click OK.
- When the analysis is complete, compare the BET Surface Area shown in the report with the BET Surface Area shown on the reference material bottle.
- If the results are within tolerance, the instrument is operating properly.
- If the results are not within tolerance, refer to the following table for possible causes and actions. After performing the action, perform the reference material analysis again.
Cause | Action |
---|---|
The sample was not degassed properly. |
Degas the sample again. |
The gas lines are not clean. | Clean and verify the gas lines |
The measured free space is too high. This indicates the helium may not be pure enough. | Ensure the helium is 99.999% pure. |