When I was using ICP-OES last week, the ICP suddenly went out, and the error message was that the cooling water for ICP was not turned on. After checking that the cooling water was in normal circulation and the pressure was normal also, however, the error still exists. I guess the RF coil is maybe blocked internally. Or there is a problem with the RF temperature sensor, have you guys encountered similar situations? (Due to long time without maintenance, the RF coil of this ICP-OES can not be disassembled).
Firstly, you said the ICP hasn't been maintained in a long time, is there algae or other material in the cooling solution? That might need looking at otherwise you might overheat the ICP catastrophically if it blocks once you do get it running.
I suggest you check the archives of https://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A0=PLASMACHEM-L to see if there are any previous instances that others have been able to solve.
Sensors may be the problem, or it could be the circuit board the sensor reports to. There are a few options it could be.
Have you tried disconnecting the cooling lines elsewhere in the system to try and manually move air or coolant through the RF coil? If that demonstrates it is clear of blockages, then you might have a problem in the cooling unit or the plumbing itself.
Finally, have you asked your local service engineer? They usually have some tricks to loosen frozen bolts etc that won't damage the rest of the instrument. You're going to have to replace the RF coil one day, so you'll have to find some way of getting it out eventually.
Actually, I didn't want to contact the engineer at first, but at present, there is no other solution, and the replacement of the RF coil in the future is also a rigid requirement.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry, Organic
- Organic