B.2 Recommended solvents
• HPLC-grade acetonitrile
• Acetonitrile/water mixtures
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Methanol
• Methanol/water mixtures
• HPLC-grade water
B.3 Preventing contamination
For information explaining how to prevent contamination, refer to
Controlling Contamination in
Ultra Performance LC/MS and HPLC/MS Systems
(part number 715001307) , available on the
Waters Web site. Visit
.
B.3.1 Clean solvents
Clean solvents ensure reproducible results and permit you to operate with minimal instrument
maintenance.
Dirty solvents can cause baseline noise and drift, and they can clog solvent reservoir filters, inlet
filters, and capillary lines.
B.3.2 Solvent quality
Use MS-grade solvents for the best possible results; the minimum requirement is HPLC-grade.
Filter solvents through an appropriate membrane filter.
Recommendation:
Heed the recommendations of the filter's manufacturer or vendor to ensure
that the filter is appropriate for the solvents used.
B.3.3 Solvent preparation
Proper solvent preparation, primarily filtration, can prevent many pumping problems.
Recommendation:
Store mobile phases in borosilicate glass reservoirs type 1, class A
2
or
type 3.3
3
. Use high-quality, brown-tinted glassware to inhibit microbial growth. Use aluminum foil
or Waters caps to cover the reservoirs.
August 8, 2016, 715005049 Rev. C
Page 87
