When to Refurbish Your Platinum Cones

Some of the benefits of platinum cones are their robustness and resistance to material buildup. These attributes typically extend the time between cleanings. We recommend that analysts wait until data degrades before removing platinum cones for cleaning, or repair. Run daily check procedures prior to your sample runs to keep track of overall performance. If you notice a significant decline in performance and it appears to be cone related, then remove your cones for inspection, cleaning and/or repair.

The primary purpose of platinum cone refurbishing is the selective, and precise removal of refractory materials from platinum cone tips. This is difficult for the average user to accomplish without damaging the cone(s). Platinum cone refurbishing can also repair damage caused by mechanical trauma (i.e., caused by impact). We reform damaged cone tips and return key dimensions to their specified requirements. The ability to repair damage caused by trauma is affected by the severity of the damage, the amount of material available for repair and the condition of the material (normal vs annealed).

Platinum cone refurbishing can often extend cone lifetime 3-4 fold. Depending on their design, we can repeat refurbishing on a cone several times, thus extending the lifetime of the cone dramatically.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are examples of cones after a gentle cleaning method. These cones would be candidates for refurbishing. 

Figure 1.  Platinum skimmer cones with oxide build up

Figure 2.  Platinum skimmer cone with damaged orifice

Figure 3. Platinum skimmer cone with salt build-up

See the following figures 4-9 for Before & After images of outcomes of platinum cone refurbishing.

Upon receipt and following refurbishing the cones are checked for their dimensional tolerances. This guide is intended to help you identify if your cones are ready for refurbishment or replacement. We are always happy to offer our expertise and can inspect your cones and offer our recommendation.

Cones will inevitably get worn or damaged enough that they are no longer usable.  As careful as you are when handling platinum cones there may be times where they are dropped, resulting in damage to the integrity of the cone, and the orifice. If the damage is too severe and we cannot maintain original manufacturer specifications the cone may not be eligible for refurbishing. Additionally, cones may not have enough material to be reworked. As seen in Figure 10 and 11 this cone has orifice damage, is brittle and porous. Our recommendation would be to retire this cone.

Figure 10. Platinum cone damaged from mishandling and chemically degraded beyond repair.

Figure 11. Platinum cone severely annealed and material is too brittle for repair.

If the cone is beyond repair, customers may be offered credit for the Pt removed for recycling. We return the credit to you based on the current, average market value of the platinum alloy extracted from the used cones.

For additional support and information please contact us at sales@txscientific.com or call 888-268-6037.