VARIAN AAS

1) Turn on Varian Spectrometer using the toggle switch on the face of the instrument (push towards I - 0 is off)

2) Turning on Acetylene: Twist secondary valve counterclockwise to ensure no gas will go through the line when
you turn on the main valve. Turn on the main valve - 3 turns. Turn the secondary valve until the acetylene
pressure is between 10 and 14 psi.

3) Turn on the air valve on the back wall. Adjust the pressure between 35-55 psi.

4) Select ‘cookbook’ using the up and down arrows on the keypad and then press ‘enter’. Choose the metal you
desire to analyze and press ‘enter’.

5) Modify ‘Instrument Parameters’ as needed – the standard settings should be fine for standard measurements.

6) Press ‘Options’ and select ‘measurement mode’ - adjust parameters as needed (Selecting ‘Integrate’ allows you
to take multiple runs per sample).

7) Press ‘Measurement Parameters’ and select ‘Integrate’, then set the instrument to ‘Read Time = 3 seconds
and ‘Replicates = 3’.

8) Press ‘Optimize’ and then select ‘HC Lamp’. Adjust the lamp to optimize the signal. (this should be fine
unless the lamp was recently replaced.

9) Align beam using a business card to ensure the beam travels along the burner path.

10) Fill the water trap under the burner and make sure the tube runs to the metals waste jar underneath the
instrument.

11) Press the ‘red’ button on the top left and then the ‘black’ button to light the flame. (no sample aspiration is
necessary to start the flame)

12) Select ‘Signal’ under ‘Optimize’ and aspirate a blank sample. Press ‘alt - read’ to zero instrument.

13) Check aspiration rate using a 10mL graduated cylinder. The rate should be around 5mL per minute. If the
rate exceeds this, please inform your instructor.

14) Press the ‘calibrate’ button and enter your calibration concentrations. Press ‘enter’ after each standard
concentration.

15) Cursor to 0.0, aspirate the blank and hit ‘Read’.

16) Move down the line switching to the appropriate standard solutions. Hit ‘Read’ after each solution. When
you switch from one sample to the next, wipe off the aspiration tube with a ‘kim wipe’.

17) Press ‘Results’ when done with calibration. (alt-results displays on screen curve)

18) Aspirate sample that you would like to analyze and press ‘Read’.

19) After completing your experiments, aspirate water for 30 seconds, then air for 30 seconds then press the
black button on the front left of the instrument to shut off the flame.

20) Turn off gases at the valves (air and acetylene) and the instrument.

Grand Rapids Community College – Calkins Science Center «URLs»