240 Maintaining Your GC
12 Maintaining the TCD
To Bakeout Contaminants from the TCD
The bakeout can be performed with the column installed or
the detector capped.
1 If the column is not installed, cap the detector.
2 Turn off the TCD filament.
3 If the column is attached to the inlet, maintain inert
carrier gas flow through the column.
4 Set the reference gas flow rate between 20 and
30 mL/min.
5 Set the detector temperature to 375 °C.
6 Hold at 375 °C for several hours.
7 If the column is uninstalled, install it. (See “To Install a
Capillary Column in the TCD” on page 234.)
8 Load the analytical method.
9 Allow the oven, inlet, and detector to equilibrate at
operating temperature, then re- tighten the fittings.
If the column is not installed, you must turn off the TCD filament and
cap the detector column fitting to prevent irreparable damage to the
filament caused by oxygen entering the detector.
Be careful! The detector may be hot enough to cause burns. If the
detector is hot, wear heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands.
If using hydrogen as a carrier gas, turn off the hydrogen supply
and cap the end of the column to prevent an oven explosion.
Be careful! The oven or detector fittings may be hot enough to
cause burns.