Chromatography Forum

What is the oldest Instrument that is still running in your lab? I am interested to know if more people have dinosaurs running.
We still have a 5790 dual TCD instrument running packed columns with an integrator. Pressure is manual, and there are buttons on the front for the methods. Its very noisy, but outlasted 3-5890s and at least 2 6890 instruments. To my knowledge, this building was built in the late 70's and this instrument is one of the first brought into the building. It is fun to see this old thing still work!

Will

I have a couple of old instruments. First is an old HP 8452a UV-visible spectrophotometer which dates from 1988. I also have a Hitachi fluorimeter that dates from the late '80's that's still running. I think the oldest is a Waters 590 pump dating from about 1982 that I dug out of the basement and cleaned up...I use it mostly to wash columns, but have occasionally used it to deliver reagents for post column reactions.

GC- HP 5890 Series II - still in full operational order

LC - waters 717 autosamplers, 510 pumps and a 991 detector (runs on a windows 3.1 PC !!)

We're running one DANI 3800 from 1979 and some Waters 590 from 1982 to 1984.

Every of those boxes did need an electronics overhaul but overall they are running smooth

We have a metrovac vacuum pump, from Associated Electrical Industries of Manchester, UK, who I believe ceased trading in 1967, still working fine.

We had an old Ivan Sorvall centrifuge that was so old (from the 1950s, I believe), even the Sorvall Company had never heard of that model !!!

Does this count, from the 1970s: my calculator, I use this every day.


The on-off switch broke about 2 years ago, and I had this toggle switch lying around, and a file folder plastic tab had a nice tint....

Running an old Rosemount Analytical DC-190 carbon analyzer. Autosampler is broken, all manual injections, have to write down results. It uses a single point calibration, so I have to generate my own calibration curve.

Not all that old .. a Water's 600 pump.

I have to laugh when people think a 5890 is ancient. My lab at my last job (left 2 years ago) had 2 5890's that I bought new... They were perfectly fine and if someone bought them, I'm sure they are still being used productively today.

I think I win. At the lab we have three Varian 3400 GC (and another one out of service for changing components).
HPLC two Waters 600 pumps with 717 autosamplers one of them with the first RI detector Waters sold and UV variable, the second has a PDA detector more new (means more than 10 years)

Example
http://www.icct.ru/Practicality/Papers/ ... 03-Big.jpg
- MiLiChrome-1 (model1968-1983 year, apparently the world's first UPLC (column 2x64 mm) . Architecture is very open - to the modern computer can be connected through the staff connector) . Pumps (syringe 2.5 ml , 5MPa 0.003-1ml/min) - glass, tantalum, Teflon, Teflon-communication, cell - quartz, Teflon (holder - steel), column- stainless steel or glass, silicagel or C18RP-silicagel (Lachema ChSFR). The concept of exclusion sorbent 40 years ago was not known, although (but) the "KCK" ( silicagel for draining gas, pores not normalized 300-1000 A) is normal exclusion sorbent.
Reodain Injector ? Injector was not there in principle, the direct input of sample into the column. Gradient pump? Too too much - gradient (steps) was created directly in the syringe.
However installing in the series since 1984 MiLiChrome -2 - was much steeper. This was drived by computer at KR580VM (analog i8080), haved autosampler in a minimal configuration, and allowsed the installation of the second pump for the linear gradient. This form http://milihrom.narod.ru/pic1.jpgmodifed up to the current 6 modification. An iron "coffin" is replaced by a plastic casing, IRPS (RS-232)-USB ,i-8080- Pentium Dual core and add electronic thermostat.

How about a Perkin Elmer 337 dispersive IR circa 1965?

Here's the instrument and a comparison of its output on a polystyrene standard compared with a Nicolet 550 FTIR:




I'm aware of another guy, I think in Germany, who has one running. He created this website with details about it:

http://antiquesci.50webs.com/PE337/PE337-1.htm

- ender

I have to laugh when people think a 5890 is ancient.

I use a 5890, a 5890 Series II, and 5890 Series II Plus daily. All three of them are fully functional.

The install date on the 5890 tag reads 10/15/86. I wouldn't consider that ancient. I'm older than that!

John

Those PE IR instruments keep on running ! Ours still worked when we no longer needed it. I forget the exact model. It had chart paper roll on top of the instrument. Eventually we couldn't source the ink pens and paper.

WK

PE OPTIMA 3000 XL 100% metal on this baby... took 3 burley boys to wrestle it into its current spot. not really chromatography, but it is old. have an old HP in the basement, all the covers are gone so i dont know what exactly it is. does have a msd though.

How about a Perkin Elmer 337 dispersive IR circa 1965?

Here's the instrument and a comparison of its output on a polystyrene standard compared with a Nicolet 550 FTIR:

I was using a P&E IR that looked like that (not sure it was the same model) in the mid 70's when I was working for the Army while a student.

- Karen