Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

By Jayant Kirpekar, Department of Instrumentation Science, Pune University, Pune 411007.

2nd March 2007

jbk@usic.unipune.ernet.in

Laboratory Instruments ?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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Different types of meters - Voltage, Current, (AC/DC) OHM meter, Analog / Digital Multimeters Power Supplies Regulated / Unregulated, AC / DC, Low Voltage, High Voltage, UPS Signal / Function Generator, Audio / RF Generators Oscilloscopes, Single Channel, Dual Trace, Digital Storage Oscilloscope Digital Frequency Counter, Universal Counter Analytical Instruments like pH mater, Conductivity meter, Colorimeter, Spectrometer Vacuum Gauges Pirani and Penning gauge G. M. Counter Electronic gadgets for specific experiments and many more
Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Repair and Maintenance

What is the difference between REPAIR and MAINTENANCE?
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Repairing is done after the failure in the instrument. Maintenance is a periodic activity. Carried out either on scheduled date, or whenever instrument starts deviating form its normal behavior.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Day to day maintenance Preventive

Maintenance of Instruments

A Stitch in time saves nine

Observe / monitor the behavior of the instrument to take the corrective action in time. It will save your precious time as well as money.

Time scheduled care taking activity similar to your vehicle.

1.

Clean the instrument externally and internally

2. Tighten the mechanical components 3. Check electrical connections and joints 4. Replace faulty cables, sockets and pins etc.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Repairing of Instruments Breakdown / Corrective Maintenance Instrument partially or completely stops working need urgent attention
Ask when, why and how it failed? Gather as much information as you can about last status of the instrument before it went bad Try to analyze the situation and locate the fault Confirm and rectify Recalibrate the instrument at least using the available standard Note down in the log book
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Resistor Colour Code

Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Resistor fixed

Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Resistor Variable

Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Capacitors

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Semiconductor devices

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Soldering Technique

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Circuit Symbols

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Circuit Symbols

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Circuit Analysis and fault Location

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Things we must know Circuit Analysis and fault Location

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

pH Meter
pH is an indication of the samples acidity, pH is actually a measurement of the activity of hydrogen ions in the sample. pH measurements run on a scale from 0-14, with 7.0 considered neutral. Those solutions with a pH below 7.0 are considered acids, and those above 7.0 are designated bases. The pH scale is logarithmic, so a one unit change in pH actually reflects a ten-fold change in the acidity. For instance, orange juice (pH 4) is ten times more acidic than cottage cheese (pH 5)
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

pH Meter

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

How pH is measured?
A probe is placed in the sample, and the pH is read directly from the meter. The pH probe measures the millivolts of potential between the reference electrode and the pH electrode (59.16 mV at 25 o C per pH).
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Nernst Equation
The meter converts this reading to pH using the Nernst Equation.
E = Eo + (R x T/ n x F) ln(a) R = Universal Gas Constant, T = Absolute temperature, n = Charge of the ion (including sign) F = Faradays constant and a = Activity of the ion.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

where

Eo = Constant depending on reference electrode

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Glass Electrode and Reference Electrode

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Combined Electrodes Regular and Gel filled

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Electronics in pH measurement

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Typical pH Meter Circuit Schematic

SET High impedance Amplifier Level Shifter Amplifier

TEMPERATURE ZERO

14.00
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ADC

Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Care and maintenance of pH Electrode

Storage: The pH electrode should always be stored in the soaker bottle. The cap should be tightened to prevent leaks. The soaker bottle contains a dilute solution of potassium chloride. After Measuring: Rinse the electrode and reference junction in deionized water. Store the electrode as recommended in Storage or as recommended by the manufacturer.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Care and maintenance of pH Electrode

Electrode Cleaning: Because pH electrode is susceptible to dirt and contamination, clean it every one to three months depending on extent and condition of use. Clean the electrode in a mild detergent solution. Wipe the probe with a soft tissue paper. Avoid touching the glass membrane with your fingers. Rinse thoroughly in tap water and then in distilled water. Recalibrate your meter after cleaning the electrode.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Care and maintenance of pH Electrode

Special Cleaning Tips Salt deposit: Dissolve the deposit by immersing the electrode in tap water for ten to fifteen minutes. Then thoroughly rinse with distilled water. Oil/grease film: Wash electrode pH bulb gently in detergent solution. Rinse electrode tip with distilled water. Clogged reference junction: Heat a diluted KCl solution to 60-80C. Place the sensing part of the electrode into the heated solution for about 10 minutes. Allow the electrode to cool in some unheated KCl solution. Protein deposits: Prepare a 1% pepsin solution in 0.1M of HCl. Place the electrode in the solution for five to ten minutes. Rinse the electrode with distilled water.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

pH Meter Troubleshooting - PROBLEM 1 Meter exhibits no response when measuring pH.

ACTION: Check power to meter. Meter not plugged in. Dead batteries in battery-powered meter. Electrode not properly connected. CONCLUSION: If the meter and electrode seem to be connected correctly, proceed to the next step. Check millivolt function of the pH meter. ACTION: Turn selection control to mV (millivolt). Place electrode in fresh pH 7.0 buffer at 25C. Meter should read 0 mV +/-15 mV. Place electrode in fresh pH 4.0 buffer at 25oC. Meter should read +177 mV +/-15 mV. Place electrode in fresh pH 10.0 buffer at 25C. Meter should read -177 mV +/-15 mV. CONCLUSION: If pH meter responds correctly in mV mode, this pinpoints the fault to the pH board. If the pH meter does not respond, you may have a faulty pH meter or faulty electrode. Proceed to next step.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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pH Meter Troubleshooting - PROBLEM 1 continued . . . .

CHECK CIRCUITRY OF THE PH METER: Turn selection control to mV or pH. Short the input to the pH meter. This should result in a stable needle reading of OVM or pH 7, which can be deflected approximately 2 pH units using the offset, set or standardize control. CONCLUSION: If the pH meter responds correctly when shorted, the meter is in good working order and the problem is probably a faulty electrode. Go to the next step. Check for a faulty electrode. If a faulty electrode is suspected, replace with a new or other working electrode and recheck pH function.

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

PROBLEM 2 - Unable to calibrate meter

ACTION: Check temperature control to verify correct setting. Open a new bottle or make a fresh batch of standard buffer and recheck calibration. Check electrode for physical defects. Visually check electrode for cracks or other abnormalities. A cracked or damaged electrode should be replaced. CONCLUSION: If no defects are seen, go to next step. Clean the electrode to eliminate a clogged reference junction. This procedure is for Ag/AgCl electrodes only. Immerse the tip of the electrode into concentrated NH4OH for 10-15 minutes. Caution: NH4OH is very caustic and should be used in a hood. Rinse the electrode. Soak in pH 4.0 buffer for 10-15 minutes. Recheck calibration. CONCLUSION: If cleaning does not result in improved performance, the meter could be at fault.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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PROBLEM 3 - pH readings are unstable, slow, erratic, or drift.

Action: Cheek the sample. A changing sample temperature may lead to unstable reading. Allow sufficient time for a sample temperature to stabilize. Note: Vigorous stirring on an uninsulated stirring motor can lead to small but significant sample temperature changes. A non-uniform sample. Gentle stirring using an insulated stirring motor can eliminate pH "zones" which result in erratic or drifting readings. A sample that is incompatible with the pH electrode. When measuring pH of special solutions such as HF, strong oxidizing solutions, or solutions that contain elements that can poison an electrode, be certain that you are using the correct electrode.

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

pH electrode - calibration buffers

In general you will probably use commercially available calibration buffers, sold either as ready solutions or as tablets to dissolve in deionized water. However, it may be interesting to look at the table of standard solutions that can be used for the electrode calibration. pH given is for 25C
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Colorimeter
Based on the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in visible range by the sample. Consists of a light source (Tungsten lamp), Set of Optical filters, Entrance Slit, Sample holder, a Photodetector and an indicating meter.
Lamp Photodetector

Filter
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Mechanical Slit

Sample holder

Readout

Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

Spectronic 20

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS for Spectronic 20 1. Turn the instrument ON by turning the Power Switch knob clockwise (toward the right). Allow the colorimeter to warm up for 15 minutes in order to stabilize the light source and the detector. 2. After the warm-up period, set the desired wavelength with the Wavelength Control knob. For instance, the wavelength for the manganese determination is 525 nm. 3. Set the display mode to transmittance by pressing the MODE control key until the light beside the "Transmittance" is lit. 4. Adjust the display to 0.0% T with the Zero Control knob. Make certain the sample compartment is empty and the cover is closed tightly while make this adjustment. 5. Fill a cuvette with the blank solution to the top of the triangle on the side of the cuvette. Wipe the cuvette with a Kimwipe to remove any liquid and fingerprints on the outside of the cuvette. Both of these will interfere with light transmission and will cause erroneous readings.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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6. Position the cuvette with the vertical guide line (fiducial line) facing toward your right and insert the tube gently but completely into the cuvette compartment. Next rotate the cuvette by 90 in a clockwise direction in order to align the guide line on the cuvette with the guideline on the sample compartment. This technique prevents scratching of the cuvette in those areas through which the light will pass. Scratches on the cuvette can lead to erroneous measurements. Close the cover of the compartment. 7. Using the Transmittance / Absorbance control knob adjust the display to read 100.0%. 8. Press the MODE control key and switch the Status Indicator light to read Absorbance. If the Transmittance calibration was done correctly the display should read 0.0. No further adjustment is required. If the display does not indicated 0.0 use the Transmittance / Absorbance control knob to adjust it to that value. Using the MODE key switch the display back to Transmittance. 9. Remove the cuvette from the compartment by reversing the previous procedure: rotate the cuvette 90 in a counterclockwise direction then remove it. Fill another cuvette with the solution whose absorbance you wish to measure. Insert it into the compartment in the same manner as before. a. Read the %T value directly from the digital display. b. Using the MODE key select Absorbance and read the A value directly from the digital display. Again select Transmittance 10. Remove the cuvette from the sample compartment by reversing the procedure used to insert the it. Close the lid to the compartment.
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS A. Make sure the cuvettes are clean. B. Fill cuvettes two-thirds full or to the top of the triangular mark. C. Always use the same cuvette for the blank solution and the other one for the sample. D. Make certain that the index mark on the cuvette is lined up with the index mark on the sample compartment before taking a reading. Doing so insures that the cuvette is in the same position for each measurement. E. If the wavelength control is moved in the slightest it is necessary to reset zero and 100 %T. F. If you suspect that your cuvettes are showing differences greater than 3% T, you should search for a pair which has closer agreement. To find such a pair, fill two clean cuvettes with distilled water. Calibrate the instrument using one as a blank. Then read %T on the other. If your reading is less than 97%T or greater than 103%T, fill a third with distilled water and take a new reading. Any pair showing differences greater than 3%T may adversely affect your grade on an experiment which uses the Spectronic 20-D spectrophotometer
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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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Thank You!

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Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Instruments and Equipments

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