Chromatography Forum

Our lab just inherited a couple Varian Saturn 2000 ion traps and I am going try to put them into use for a few tests that are not typical EPA methods. I was wondering, can you use Hydrogen as a carrier for these? I found an install guide and it only mentions Helium but then these aren't new units and Helium wasn't as expensive back then. If I can use Hydrogen then I can supply them from the gas generators and not be costing me so much when they sit idle.

I have never used ion traps before so not sure if it would be ok to use Hydrogen or not.

I am almost certain that you have to use helium - collisions with the carrier gas are part of what keeps the ions circulating in the trap.

Peter

I used a Saturn 2200 and it could not use H2.

I used a Saturn 2200 and it could not use H2.

I found out from the Agilent rep that was here recently that H2 will cause CI reactions to happen, so only He. Seems he agrees with everyone else here, and I thought that was probably the case with the Ion Traps.

Ive never tried Hydrogen, Ive tested Nitrogen and it won't perform, it will work just fine for a purge gas but Helium is the ONLY carrier that works!