Performance of Perma Pure’s Nafion™ tubing may decline over time due to buildup of residues. Perma Pure recommends replacing a worn tubing. 

Visual Inspection of Nafion™ Tubing Dryer Elements

Although Nafion™ polymer is not hazardous, the nature of any sample residues within the dryer is unknown. Harsh solvent(s) are used to clean the Nafion™ tubing. Wear proper protective equipment, including at a minimum protective eyewear and rubber gloves. If acids are used to clean the tubing, a lab coat or coverall is recommended.

Visually inspect the Nafion™ tubing element. Look for discoloration of the Nafion™ tubing. Nafion™ tubing will discolor over time in normal operation, turning yellow, then progressively darker. This is normal, and does not seriously affect performance. The following is a chart illustrating some of the common problems, their causes and Perma Pure’s recommended cleaning method. See the note below for the ME Series.

Observance	Likely Cause	Repair Method (See note below for ME Series)
Collapsed Tubing	Negative sample pressure	Methanol
Black, Brittle Tubing	Overheating	Acid Wash may be used but it is probable that the element will need replacing and the temperature adjusted. Note Anodized Aluminum shell is recommended if dryer is to be heated.
Solid Deposits
Yellow waxy solids	Ammonium salts commonly formed when ammonia is injected into stack gas exhaust as part of the DeNOx process.	De-ionized Water
Red, green or blue deposits	Indication of contamination with salts from corroded metal upstream of the dryer. Red for copper, blue or green for stainless steel (chromium salts).	Acid Wash
Very dark solids	Most likely caused by oils or tars (residues of organic compounds)	Acid Wash
Dark Oily Liquids	High-boiling liquid residues may be deposited within the dryer. Dark oily liquids are likely to be sulfuric acid residues.	Acid Wash
Bent Tubing	Twisting of element when assembling, disassembling or rotating fittings.	Methanol
Broken Tubing	Over-twisting of element, liquid water entering the tubing or excessive sample pressure and temperature	None – replace with new dryer

Treatment of the Dryer Element with Methanol

When Nafion™ tubing comes into contact with an alcohol (ie. Methanol), it will swell up to 188% of its original size, both in diameter and overall length. It is because of this characteristic that kinks in tubing can be repaired.

For collapsed tubing:

1. Remove the coupling from the shell.
2. Reinstall the element into the coupling only.
   1. Slide element into coupling through threaded end
   2. Push until snap ring seats
3. Reinstall the front nut.
4. Connect dry air to the sample inlet port, do not turn on flow.
5. Gently apply methanol to the element, do not go closer than 1.5 inches from the header.
6. Slowly begin to flow dry air through the tubing and allow to expand.
7. If there are still collapsed sections, apply methanol to those areas while air is flowing.
8. Once tubing is back to the proper shape, continue to flow dry air for several minutes.
9. Proceed to Reassembly of the PD-Series Dryer.

Acid Wash of the Dryer Element

If oily residues are present, the dryer should be washed with acid to remove the residues and to recondition the Nafion™ polymer (restore it to its original sulfonic acid form).

1. Prepare a bath of 10% nitric acid (HNO₃) in a suitable container. The container should withstand exposure to nitric acid and heating.
2. Immerse the Nafion™ tubing into the nitric acid bath taking care not to wet the epoxy headers. About 1.5 inches (4cm) of tubing as well as the header should remain out of the acid.NOTE: Do not sharply bend the Nafion™ tubing during this cleaning process. The bath should be large enough to allow the Nafion™ tubing to flex gradually. A magnetic stirring hotplate should be used if available. If not, the acid container should be heated in some fashion and stirred periodically.
   Caution: Heating of the acid bath will generate noxious fumes. The cleaning process should be performed in a fume hood or very well ventilated area. Covering the container with a loose plastic lid will minimize the fumes.
   Caution: Rubber gloves and protective eyewear must be worn. Nitric acid at this concentration will stain and/or irritate the skin and injure the eyes if splashed. 
3. Heat the acid bath to 70°C to 80°C, and soak the Nafion™ tubing dryer element for one hour with occasional stirring (a magnetic stirring bar set on low if possible).
4. Remove the dryer from the acid bath. The acid bath may be covered and reused until it shows significant discoloration.
5. Rinse the outside of the tubing and headers with de-ionized (DI) water at room temperature to remove the nitric acid residues.
6. Briefly force De-ionized water through the inside of the tubing. This may be accomplished with a plastic squeeze bottle or syringe. Do not immerse the headers of the dryer element in water or excessively wet the tubing inside the headers. Nafion™ tubing swells when exposed to water. If the tubing inside the epoxy headers becomes too wet, it may swell sufficiently to crack the rigid epoxy header.
7. Quickly blow clean, dry air through the dryer element to remove any residual water.
8. Continue to blow air through the dryer for several minutes. This will reduce any swelling and restore the dryer to normal length.

Effects of Liquid Water and Methanol / Alcohols on Perma Pure ME Nafion™ Tubing Dryers

Because of the unique construction of the ME Series, Perma Pure strongly recommends against using liquid water or alcohols to clean them. Both liquid types have the tendency to swell the Nafion™ tubing , possibly causing the material to deform and kink within the protection braiding during full contact, restricting gas flow and reducing drying performance. In situations where this type of cleaning is deemed necessary, in order to limit the swelling effect, Perma Pure recommends that the cleaning process be done quickly and that clean dry air be used immediately following the cleaning to quickly remove the moisture from the tubing after contact with liquid water or alcohol.