X-175 Manual

Liability Note: The manufacturer assumes NO liability for damage however caused in the handling & usage of the nebulizers. Use at your own risk.

Caution: DO 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.

Warning: This 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 +1 905 823 3535.

Please Note: Burgener NX-175 Nebulizers require 40 PSI to have a 1 liter/minute of Argon gas flow, so the operating pressures are in the range of 30 - 60 PSI, depending on the torch optimum flow rate.

Minimizing Pulsations: Nebulizers will pulse if the pump can not deliver constant sample flow. Change your pump tubing often, or use a surgeless pump if possible. A syringe pump or gravity feed system will also work.

DO NOT TOUCH THE TIP! 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.

It is recommended that the red nebulizer safety cap is kept on the nebulizer while not in use. This will protect the tip from accidental damage.

Dropping and Breakage: Burgener Nebulizer bodies are strong and generally will not break. If a nebulizer 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 it is safe to use.

Operating Instructions

Your new Burgener X-175 Nebulizer is unique. It should give you a long and convenient service on most solutions. The operation and care of your nebulizer is different from most other nebulizers in several important ways.

1. Solutions and Solvents

The X-175 internal PEEK capillaries handle almost all liquids. But the PEEK can be attacked by some acids: Sulphuric, Perchloric, Bromidic, high HF, and by a few organic solvents. If in doubt, check the internet for PEEK’s resistance to the liquid.

2. Sample Introduction / Maximizing Stability

Burgener X-175 Nebulizers do not have any suction, so they require a pump to supply the sample solution. The pump speed and the quality of the pump tubing have a large effect on the stability of the nebulizer. Try to select a pump tubing size  that allows running the pump at a high speed. Pulsations occur if the pump can not deliver constant sample flow. Change the pump tubing often: usually once a day for maximum stability and lowest %RSD.

3. Sample Capillary Tubing and Fittings

Sample lines are attached with UpChurch® 10/32 “Fingertight” fittings. TIGHTEN THE SAMPLE LINE GENTLY - it can close the capillary line if over tightened. We supply .062" OD X .010" ID  Teflon capillary tubing. You may use any tubing that fits an UpChurch 10/32 Fingertight fitting. We recommend that you use  .010" ID or smaller for the sample line. This should catch any particles before they get into the nebulizer. It is much safer & easier to replace the capillary tubing than to clean the nebulizer.

4. Low Flow Operations

The NX-175 Mist can run on very low flow rates FOR SOME LIQUIDS. Water and liquids with high surface tension are more difficult than liquids with low surface tension such as Alcohol. To run below 50 microliters per minute, you may need to add 10% Alcohol to your solutions to decrease the surface tension and you probably need to run 1 l/min Argon flow. Lower Argon flow rates may not work for very low flow sample rates.

5. The Gas Line

The gas line is also attached with UpChurch® 10/32 “Fingertight” fittings. We supply 2mm OD X 1mm ID Teflon tubing. A gas line filter is NOT included in the nebulizer. Any particles from the gas line will destroy the nebulizer, so please ensure that the gas line to the nebulizer is clean of any particles. If while replacing the gas lines you detect a leak, tighten the gas fittings harder, but remember that the Teflon body is soft and may lose its threads if over tightened.

6. Humidified Argon

It does not matter if the Argon is humidified or not.

7. Nebulizer Pressure

The Burgener X-175 Nebulizer operating pressure is determined by the torch. Torches require 0.5 to 1 liter per minute. The pressure varies with each nebulizer, but the flow should be almost the same for an individual torch. Each nebulizer should be tested by looking for the pressure which gives optimum precision. This will generally be found to be a narrow range. An initial pressure can usually be found by observing the central channel of the plasma while aspirating a solution of 1,000 ppm Y. Adjust the pressure until the red tongue is just level with the upper turn of the work coil. This is easy to observe with a relatively new torch, but, once the torch becomes discolored, it may be difficult to see this tongue. In this case, the alternative is to begin at about 35 PSI and increase at 2 to 5 PSI intervals until the best precision is found.

8. Nebulizer Orientation - Rotate to Optimize

Some nebulizers are sensitive to orientation. The gas flows from the nebulizer at a bit of an angle, and this affects the flows in chambers, especially cyclonic chambers. Be sure to check orientation once the apparently optimum nebulizer pressure has been found to determine which gives the better results. For the orientation check, rotate the nebulizer in 45 degreeS increments and check for a gain in precision. For most X-175 nebulizers, rotation only has a small effect.

9. Washing Your Nebulizer - Salting

For the longest life and best performance, wash your nebulizer by simply running water as a sample for 10 minutes at the end of the day before shutting down the plasma. Any other form of washing is usually unnecessary.  

10. Unplugging the Sample Line

If the capillary from the sample to the nebulizer is plugged, it can be easily unscrewed and replaced. If the nebulizer itself is plugged, it is probably NOT repairable. Cleaning wires are too thick to fit into the sample line capillary. The NX-175 can not handle undissolved particles. If you have samples with particles that may plug the nebulizer, we suggest you use our Mira Mist Nebulizers instead.