Hello all,
I'm wondering what other labs do to keep their standard blocks clean and in tip-top shape over time. I've noticed that some of my pure metal standards are developing an oxide layer that is interfering with my standardization (especially when analyzing fresh new alloy surfaces).
We have sent one standard block back to the manufacturer to be resurfaced and cleaned, but we were not very satisfied with the results... Is re-polishing the surface typically the only way to refresh the surface? I was thinking about trying our plasma cleaner, but I wanted to see if anyone else has had experience going that route.
Also, if anyone has any good best practices for how they keep their standards when not in use, I'd like to hear about them. We keep our standards either in a dessicator or the instrument and always handle them using gloves.
Thanks for any input!
-Dan