The 820 IC Separation Center provides the thermal and electrical protection for the wet-chemistry part of the ion chromatographic analysis. The stable polyurethane housing ensures temperature stability; the electrically conducting lacquer finish and the metallic network incorporated in the housing provide an effective shield against electromagnetic radiation.
All the analytical components, with the exception of the pumps, are contained in the IC Separation Center. Precolumns, separating columns, preconcentration columns, detectors, pulsation absorber, the MSM Metrohm Suppressor Module and valves therefore work under constant ambient conditions. The optimal shielding of the 820 IC Separation Center guarantees the excellent signal-to-noise ratio of the measured values. The control electronics are located outside the 820 IC Separation Center and are therefore protected against moisture.
The latest Separation Center generation is available with a built-in column oven as an option. In this case two separating columns together with precolumns are kept at a constant temperature that can be set from 30 °C to 70 °C. As the supply capillaries are also located in the column oven this means that temperature gradients within the system are reliably avoided.
The 820 IC Separation Center is remotely controlled by the Metrodata IC Net software.
The 2.820.0X10 version of the IC Separation Center is equipped with an electrically operated six-way injection valve made of PEEK. This version is primarily intended for cation and anion analysis without chemical suppression.
The 2.820.0X20 version of the IC Separation Center is equipped with two electrically operated six-way injection valves made of PEEK. This version is primarily suitable for combined cation and anion analysis systems, for inline dialysis and for systems with inline sample preconcentration or inline matrix elimination. If chemical suppression is to be used then the 820 IC Separation Center can simply be extended by adding the 833 IC Liquid Handling Suppressor Unit (2.833.0020).
In addition to the electrical six-way injection valve made of PEEK, the 2.820.0X30 version of the IC Separation Center also already contains the MSM Metrohm Suppressor Module. This is primarily used for chemical suppression in anion analysis. The three «micro packed bed» suppressors contained in a rotor are characterized by their high capacity, long working life and simple handling: one suppressor is in the analytical circuit, the second is regenerated with dilute sulfuric acid, and the third is rinsed with deionized water. After each analysis the suppressor moves one step forward so that a freshly regenerated suppressor is always available. The reproducibility is excellent - the individual suppressors cannot be distinguished during the analysis.