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© Agilent Technologies, Inc., 2015 Printed in Canada, April 30, 2015

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Agilent inorganic, metallo-organic and biodiesel Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) are manufactured in an ISO 9001, ISO Guide 34 facility and certified in an ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory so you can be sure you’re getting the industry’s highest quality. They’re suitable for AA, MP-AES, ICP-OES and ICP-MS applications, plus other elemental analysis techniques. By using Agilent Certified Reference Materials – in conjunction with genuine Agilent parts and supplies – your spectroscopy laboratory can maximize accuracy and productivity.

10 Tips to keep your Agilent, PerkinElmer, and Thermo spectroscopy instruments running at peak performanceThese vital tips and tricks – created by the spectroscopy experts at Agilent – will help you achieve precise, accurate, and consistent results with known uncertainties.

CALIBRATE WITH CONFIDENCE USE OUR COMPLETE PORTFOLIO OF CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIALS

Certified performance: All Agilent spectroscopy CRMs include a certificate of analysis (CoA) that confirms ISO conformity, actual concentration values, measurement uncertainty, NIST traceability, and other quality control measures. The certified concentrations are reported as weight/weight (µg/g) and weight/volume (µg/mL).

Our highest quality standards, your best spectral dataBecause the accuracy of your analysis depends on your initial calibration, your standards must be free from contaminants – and certified using the most rigorous, robust techniques.

Agilent Certified Reference Materials are manufactured in an ISO Guide 34 facility and certified in an ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory. In addition, all Agilent spectroscopy standards are certified using the high-performance ICP-OES spectroscopy protocol developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to ensure accuracy and traceability to the NIST SRM 3100 Series single element standards.

Minimize troublesome blockages during analysis and improve productivityOnce you’ve perfected your calibration using the highest quality standards, you also need to prevent suspended particulates from causing problems such as nebulizer blockage. This introduces new analytical challenges, such as drift in your analysis, and impacts your productivity with time spent troubleshooting and your bottom line with costly re-analysis of samples.

You can remove damaging particulates with Agilent Captiva Premium Syringe filters, which are designed to make filtration easy, fast, and reliable – plus offer the industry’s highest flow rates and loading capacity. Captiva Syringe filters help you achieve great results, right from the start. Choose your filter at: agilent.com/chem/SelectFilter

All of your spectroscopy supplies and standards, in one placeStreamline your purchasing and spend less time expediting orders or adjusting work schedules. Make Agilent your single source for sample prep, spectroscopy supplies, and analytical instrumentation.

Our world-class logistics – together with a global network of Agilent sales and distribution centers – ensure worldwide availability for the supplies you need to keep your laboratory running smoothly.

Find Agilent CRMs for your application at: agilent.com/chem/spectroscopystandards

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Using Certified Reference Materials is key Always prepare your calibration standards from Certified Reference Materials manufactured in an ISO 9001, Guide 34 facility and certified in an ISO/IEC 17025 testing lab. Certification ensures the highest levels of purity and quality with known uncertainties for precise, accurate calibration data and consistent performance leading to greater productivity.

Your data is only as good as your lowest blank Use only de-ionized water and high-purity acids or reagents to prepare calibration standards and samples.

Shake it, do not just stir Don’t underestimate the importance of good mixing when preparing standards. A simple swirl is not enough. Make a habit of inverting and shaking the container several times.

Replace standards regularly Standards should be replaced well before the expiry date. This ensures accuracy by minimizing transpiration losses and contamination risks. The transpiration losses and chemical stability of the standard determines the shelf life.

Minimize memory effects Always ensure an adequate rinse time between samples – especially before shutting the instrument down when your analysis is complete. The rinse solution should be prepared in the same solvent as the samples being analyzed.

Prevent contamination Avoid pipetting directly from the CRM’s original container – always pour a small amount into a different clean container and take your aliquot from there. And never return unused standard to the original Agilent container.

Use balances, not pipettes, for diluting Try to dilute on a weight/weight basis using calibrated balances; the uncertainty of a balance is much lower than a pipette.

Always try to matrix match your calibration standards Matrix matching to your samples is easier if you use 1% (10,000 μg/mL) standards as stock materials for major sample components and keep the total concentration of all elements below 20,000 μg/mL (2%).

Keep it clean Preclean all labware and avoid use of glassware (where possible), especially for trace-level applications such as GFAA and ICP-MS.

Take care with standard storage Standards should be stored – tightly capped – in their original containers at controlled room temperatures (from 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) as per USP 35 (10.30.60)), away from direct sunlight. Never freeze or heat standards, and minimize exposure to moisture and high humidity.