Cooling Options

The furnace must cool during temperature programmed analyses if:

  • a low temperature is required as part of the analysis, or
  • to speed cooling of the furnace to increase sample throughput or reduce analysis time.

If cooling is required for the analysis, a CryoCooler may be necessary. Cooling options are:

  • Allow the temperature to return to ambient over time. If time is not a consideration, allow the furnace to cool over time. It may take two hours or more for the furnace to cool from 1100 °C to near ambient. This may be acceptable when time is not limited.
  • Promote cooling by manually opening the furnace. The furnace cools more rapidly when it is open. This option requires the availability of an operator to open and close the furnace at the appropriate times during analysis.
  When it has been used recently, the furnace and/or the sample tube may be hot. Use the cotton gloves provided in the accessory kit when handling heated surfaces. These cotton gloves are not intended to protect hands when heated surfaces are above 60 °C.
  • Connect a cooling gas or cryogen flow to the inlet on the front of the furnace. A cooling flow of an appropriate gas or cryogen can be connected to the inlet on the furnace. Read the warning listed above. This option can provide rapid cooling of the sample but offers no control of the target temperature or the speed at which it is achieved. The gas or cryogen must be nonreactive — such as nitrogen, air, helium, argon, liquid nitrogen, or liquid argon.
  • Connect the KwikCool to the inlet in the front of the furnace. The KwikCool allows the furnace temperature to ramp rapidly near ambient, which reduces the time required to complete analyses and increases throughput. See KwikCool .
  • Connect the optional CryoCooler to the inlet in the front of the furnace. The CryoCooler provides control of the sample temperature to temperatures as low as -100 °C. The CryoCooler is required for accurate analyses that include signal recording below ambient. The CryoCooler Operator Manual can be found on the Micromeritics web page (www.micromeritics.com).