AIM600 FAQ
Q. How does the AIM600 compare with the AIM500 Block Digestion System?
- The AIM600 has a faster heating rate, better temperature control, increased method capacity and some additional programming functions
Q. is the AIM500 block or controller compatible with the AIM600
- No. The AIM600 controller has different electronics and connections
Q. Why do laboratories digest samples?
- Firstly, samples are broken down by acids with the addition of heat in order to ensure that all the elements being tested are in a liquid form. Once the elements of interest are in solution that can analysed by such instruments as Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, (AA), Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy, (ICP), Flow Injection Analysis, (FIA), Mercury Analysers and many more technologies. Typical sample types include water, soils, sludge, plant tissue, plastics, oil, minerals and paint. Secondly, environmental and other laboratories using standard methods such as United States Environmental Protection Agency Methodologies for sample analysis require the digestion of samples prior to instrument analysis.
Q. How do laboratories digest samples?
- Historically and still today many people digest samples using beakers on a hot plate in a fume hood. Other widely used techniques that introduce a higher level of control and less operator involvement are block digestion systems and microwave digestion systems.
Q. What advantages does a Block Digester offer over beakers on a hot plate?
- The AIM600 Block Digestion System provides better quality results, higher productivity of sample throughput, and uses less fume hood space per sample.
Q. How is Block Digester more productive?
- Up to 50 samples can be digested simultaneously with minimal operator supervision.
Q. How does a Block Digester give better quality end results?
- Firstly, all samples on a Block Digester are processed at exactly the same temperature, whereas on a hot plate, because hot plates have hot and cold spots, all samples can be digested at different temperatures.
Secondly, a Block Digester regulates the exact digestion time and heating rates, whereas on a hot plate, the times are dependant on an operator remembering to change the digest conditions
Q. What are main advantages of the AIM600 as a Block Digester?
- The AIM600 block digesters have the highest sample capacity on the market to provide you with the greatest sample throughput. The AIM600 Digestion Block has a thick 316SS covering, providing a greater measure of acid resistance. The temperature range over the Digestion Block is extremely accurate (+/- 2ºC) due to specially designed heating plates, which provides more even sample evaporation to give you more reproducible results. The heat-up time is short, which allows for a quicker digestion process, providing increased sample throughput. By utilizing the programmable controller you can increase the temperature by 1ºC/minute, which provides safer digestion without "bumping" of the digests. The programmable controller allows you to store 20 different programs of up to 30 steps each which provides excellent flexibility and reproducibility. You can also set the Digestion Block to start automatically, work unattended at night saving time and increasing lab productivity. The electronics to control the block digestor are contained in a separate module that is located outside the fumehood away from corrosive acid fumes.
Q. What are the advantages of a Block Digestion System over a Microwave Digestion System?
- While microwave digestion systems can accelerate the digestion process, block digestion system still offer a number of distinct advantages:
- Larger runs - The AIM600 digests more samples in one batch Larger sample sizes. On a microwave digestion system, you are limited to 0.5 g for inorganic samples, less for organic samples. On the AIM600, you can use 10 x this amount comfortably.
- Less Operator Involvement - A microwave digestion system requires regular attention by the operator, disassembling and reassembling digestion vessels. On the AIM600, once you add samples and acid, digestion proceeds without intervention by operator. The high operator involvement for the microwave digestion unit tends to negate the faster digestions.
- More flexibility - It is possible to use a wider range of acids including sulphuric acid and perchloric acid on the AIM600. On a microwave digestion system, sulphuric acid has too high a boiling point and will melt the PTFE vessels while perchloric acid can be explosive under pressure. It is not possible to perform kjeldahl digestions in a microwave system but you can on an AIM600 block digestion system. Cost - The AIM600 block digestion system is much cheaper than a microwave digestion system - typically about a quarter the cost. In addition, microwave digestion systems have on-going consumable costs, such as rupture membranes and digestion vessels have a finite life. The AIM600 does not have on-going consumable costs.
Q. Why does Ai Scientific not recommend a fume scrubber/exhaust system?
- Because fume scrubers:
- Do not remove all the fumes, it is still necessary to operate the Digester in the fume cabinet. (Other manufacturers who sell scrubbers will confirm this).
- Connect all samples together, which increases the possibility of cross contamination between samples within a digest.
- Require washing between batches, to avoid cross contamination between batches. This is a tedious task if done thoroughly.
Instead of a fume scrubber/exhaust system, Ai Scientific offer tear drop stoppers or splash heads for each individual tube.
Q. What are the Main Applications of the AIM600?
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