Hi Joe,

Several  years ago I published a short paper on borosilicate versus 
soda-glass vials.  The reference is below and it may be of some use to 
you.  As a result of this work, we use round-bottom borosilicate vials 
exclusively.

I can't help you much regarding cleaning since we mostly use the 
Gasbench for oxygen in water, where we just rinse the vials carefully 
and dry them before re-use.

Nelson, S.T., 2000, Sample vial influence on the accuracy and precision 
of carbon and oxygen isotope analysis in continuous flow mass 
spectrometric applications: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 
v. 4, p. 293-297.


On May 22, 2007, at 11:54 AM, Joe Lambert wrote:

> Hi all,
>
>      We just recently finished the installation of a new Gasbench to 
> our
> Delta Plus.  We'll spend most of our time measuring carbonates.  I
> was wondering how other labs are handling the cleaning of used
> exetainers.  I see that Thermo gives guidelines for cleaning in their
> manual; however, maybe someone has developed a faster/easier method?
>
>      Thermo also recommends that even new unused exetainers should be
> cleaned before measuring carbonates.  Has anyone experienced problems
> if they take the risk and use unwashed new exetainers?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Joe
>
> W. Joe Lambert
> Research Scientist
> Alabama Stable Isotope Laboratory
> University of Alabama
> Geological Sciences
> 202 Bevill Building
> 7th Avenue
> P.O. Box 870338
> Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0338
> Phone: (205) 348-4404
> Fax: (205) 348-0818
> email: [log in to unmask]
> Visit our web-site: http:www.geo.ua.edu/asil
>
>
-- 
*************************************************************
Steve Nelson
Professor
Dept. of Geological Sciences
S-389 ESC
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT  84602

801-422-8688

"Guns don't kill people, Dick Cheney kills people."
George W. Bush:  "Decider in Chief"
"Iraq burns.  We shop."  Bob Herbert
**************************************************************
Disclaimer for the feeble-minded:  It should be painfully obvious, but 
the identification of my affiliation with Brigham Young University does 
not imply that the University endorses any political or otherwise 
partisan content of this message.