TC-20 as a multi-tube conditioning unit

Sorbent tubes require stringent conditioning - often for several hours - whenever they are:

• Freshly packed with sorbent.
• Stored without being properly capped.
• Heavily contaminated during a sampling procedure.
• Required for trace level monitoring.
  

Some commercial thermal desorbers, like UNITY, ULTRA 50:50 and AutoSecure offer a dedicated tube conditioning mode. However this can lead to valuable analytical instrument capacity being used simply to clean sorbent tubes.

The TC-20 tube conditioning system saves time and money cleaning up to 20 industry standard (¼-inch x 3½-inch) sorbent tubes SIMULTANEOUSLY.  Unique flow control equipment built into each tube connection means that empty tube positions do not need to be blocked off if less than 20 tubes are to be cleaned.

Using the TC-20 eliminates any risk of contamination of the analytical system and allows expensive helium to be substituted by lower-cost nitrogen.


TC-20 as a dry purge unit

Dry purging is used to remove excess water from a batch of sampled sorbent tubes. Dry purging is particularly important when hydrophilic sorbents have been used and eliminates the adverse effects water would otherwise have on MS, ECD and FID detectors.  It also extends GC column lifetimes.

The TC-20 is used to pass clean, dry carrier gas through up to 20 sorbent tubes simultaneously.  Tubes are inserted such that dry gas passes through them in the sampling direction at ambient temperature.  As above, less than 20 tubes can be dry purged without needing to block off empty tube positions. 


For part numbers and pricing please contact your local Markes distributor.

Relevant technical support publications from Markes International can be automatically downloaded from this web site (registration required). Examples include:

• Brochure - The TC-20 Tube Conditioner & Dry Purge Rig
• Brochure - Thermal Desorption & Air Monitoring Products
• TDTS 5 - Advice on sorbent selection and conditioning sample tubes
• TDTS 19 - Minimising artefacts considerations for storage & transportation of sorbent tubes

Other thermal desorption sampling accessories available from Markes include: 

Air sampling pumps
MTS-32 sequential tube sampler
Bio-VOC breath sampler
VOC-Mole soil probe
FLEC cell
µ-CTE Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor
Calibration Solution Loading Rig 
Pneumatic control accessory 
Digital flowmeter
Helium Gas Leak Detector
Sorbent tubes for Thermal Analysis - Evolved Gas Collection

Back to sampling accessories home page