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Institute for National Measurement Standards

Thermometry - Calibration Services

Ordering Calibrations Services

The Thermometry Group maintains the International Temperature Scale (ITS-90) in Canada. It disseminates temperature standards through its calibration service and through support for the INMS Calibration Laboratory Assessment Service (CLAS). Current research is directed towards improvement of both the primary standards of the ITS-90 and instruments and techniques for practical temperature measurements.

 Services
 Facilities
 Fees

Contact: Doug Gee
Tel. (613) 993-2393

Services

A complete range of temperature calibrations is available for resistance thermometers, liquid-in-glass thermometers, thermistors, thermocouples, and optical pyrometers. Special arrangements can be made to calibrate other temperature-measuring devices. The laboratory normally calibrates only first-class thermometric instruments. It may refuse to undertake certain, or all, methods of calibration for inferior instruments. It can advise clients on the selection, use, and appropriate calibration of thermometers for any aspect of temperature measurement.

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Facilities

The Group has a complete set of primary standards (calibration equipment and thermometers) which enables it to realize the ITS-90, in accordance with its definition, from 14 K to 2500 K. In addition, there are calibration facilities for all the types of thermometers commonly used in the above temperature range. Furnaces, cryostats, and measuring equipment are also available for studies of melting and freezing points of high-purity materials as temperature reference points, for annealing of electrical thermometers, and for examining the behaviour of temperature-measuring instruments.

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Fees

Ordering Calibrations Services NEW procedures effective March 23, 2006.

A33-03-00-00
Custom Temperature Standards Measurements or Services
Fee on request
Contact: doug.gee@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca for further information
A33-03-00-01
Handling Fee
$250
A charge is levied for any instrument that is found to be unsuitable for calibration. This fee covers opening, inspection, and return, and is based on the work done prior to the discovery of the fault.

 Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers and Digital Thermometers
 Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers
 Capsule-type SPRTs
 Long-stem SPRTs and HTPRTs
 Thermocouples, Thermistors, and Resistance Thermometers
 Radiation Thermometers
 Strip Filament Lamps

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Liquid-In-Glass Thermometers and Digital Thermometers

Liquid-in-glass thermometers suitable for calibration are generally of the total immersion, ASTM-designated type with Serial Numbers. These thermometers include an ice-point reference scale which should be routinely monitored. Calibrations are made by comparison with a standard platinum resistance thermometer in a constant temperature bath within the temperature range -80°C to +500°C. A calibration consists of an ice-point reading and typically calibrations at 3 to 5 temperatures within the range of the thermometer. The thermometer is read to approximately one-fifth of a scale division. Hand-held digital thermometers suitable for calibration generally have thermocouple, PRT or thermistor input sensors and a digital readout display calibrated together. Calibrations are made by comparison with a standard platinum resistance thermometer in a constant temperature bath within the temperature range -80°C to +500°C, or by comparison with a standard thermocouple in an electrically heated furnace between 300°C and 1100°C. A calibration consists of measurements at 3 or more temperatures within the range of the thermometer.

A33-03-01-09
$190
This service covers the initial handling and inspection of one thermometer. This process is a prerequisite for 33-3-1-10.
A33-03-01-10
$120
Within the range -80°C to 500°C, comparisons are carried out in stirred liquid baths (alcohol, water, oil, nitrate salts) with an SPRT as the standard. This fee is applied for each calibration temperature required.

Fees

Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers

The standard platinum resistance thermometer (SPRT) defines the ITS-90 within the range 13.8033 K to 1234.93 K, when calibrated at specific sets of defining fixed points, and used with specified reference and deviation functions for interpolation at intervening temperatures. The defining fixed points are listed in the following table.

T90 (K) t90 (°C) Fixed Point
13.8033 -259.3467 e-Hydrogen triple point
17.035 -256.115 e-Hydrogen vapour pressure point near 33.3213 kPa
20.27 -252.88 e-Hydrogen vapour pressure point near 101.292 kPa
24.5561 -248.5939 Neon triple point
54.3584 -218.7916 Oxygen triple point
83.8058 -189.3442 Argon triple point
234.3156 -38.8344 Mercury triple point
273.16 0.010 Water triple point
302.9146 29.7646 Gallium melting point
429.7485 156.5985 Indium freezing point
505.078 231.928 Tin freezing point
692.677 419.527 Zinc freezing point
933.473 660.323 Aluminum freezing point
1234.93 961.78 Silver freezing point

The ITS-90 contains a number of overlapping subranges. The calibration of a particular SPRT involves selecting the range over which the thermometer will be used, or the maximum range over which the SPRT may be operated in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer. SPRTs may be broadly classified into two types: capsule thermometers and long-stem thermometers. Capsule thermometers are used primarily between 13.8 K and 273 K and, by the nature of their construction, generally become an integral part of the apparatus in which they are used to determine temperature. Long-stem SPRTs (25 at 0°C) normally operate between 84 K and 660°C. The high-temperature platinum resistance thermometer (HTPRT) (0.25 to 2.5 at 0°C) may be operated to 961.78°C.

Fees

Preliminary Preparation and Testing

A33-03-02-01
$875
This service covers the preliminary preparation and testing of each thermometer. If this test shows that the thermometer does not warrant a full calibration, no additional work will be done. Full calibration of each thermometer includes this service and one or more of the specific ranges of calibration outlined in services A33-03-02-02 to A33-03-02-21.

Fees

Capsule-type SPRTs

(A33-03-02-02 to A33-03-02-05)

Calibrations of capsule-type SPRTs are available for the following temperature ranges:

A33-03-02-02
$9275
From 13.8 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple point and two vapour pressure points of equilibrium hydrogen, and at the triple points of neon, oxygen, argon, mercury, and water.
A33-03-02-03
$6170
From 24.6 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of equilibrium hydrogen, neon, oxygen, argon, mercury, and water.
A33-03-02-04
$4640
From 54.4 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of oxygen, argon, mercury, and water.
A33-03-02-05
$3090
From 83.8 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of argon, mercury, and water.

Fees

Long-stem SPRTs and HTPRTs

(A33-03-02-06 to A33-03-02-21)

The following services are provided for long-stem SPRTs and HTPRTs. The temperature ranges are as shown for each calibration.

A33-03-02-06
$2150
From -189°C to 0°C. This includes calibration at the triple points of argon, mercury, and water.
A33-03-02-11
$1450
From -38°C to 30°C. This includes calibration at the triple points of mercury and water and at the melting point of gallium.
A33-03-02-12
$2150
From -38°C to 157°C. Includes triple points of mercury and water and freezing points of indium.
A33-03-02-15
$700
From 0°C to 30°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and at the melting point of gallium.
A33-03-02-16
$700
From 0°C to 157°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing point of indium.
A33-03-02-17
$1450
From 0°C to 232°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of indium and tin.
A33-03-02-18
$1450
From 0°C to 420°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin and zinc.
A33-03-02-19
$2150
From 0°C to 660°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin, zinc, and aluminum.
A33-03-02-20
$3590
From 0°C to 962°C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin, zinc, aluminum, and silver.
A33-03-02-21
$250
Re-issue of a report.

Platinum-rhodium Thermocouples

Standard platinum 10% rhodium/platinum thermocouples (type S) must be at least 90 cm long and made of wire not less than 0.35 mm in diameter. It is recommended that a standard thermocouple be at least 120 cm long and be shipped as bare unstrained wire. This is to facilitate the annealing of the thermocouple wire at high temperature (1300°C) by electrical heating prior to assembly. Such a thermocouple will be returned assembled in a pure alumina sheath 46 cm long and 4 mm in diameter, with a pyrex-enclosed reference junction and with 150 cm selected copper leads. Platinum 13%rhodium/platinum thermocouples (type R) of the same construction will also be calibrated under A33-03-03-03.

A33-03-03-01
$2590
This service provides calibration at the freezing points of zinc, aluminum, and silver, with an uncertainty of 0.4°C.
A33-03-03-02
$700
Platinum-rhodium thermocouples may be calibrated at any of the metal freezing points normally available in the laboratory.
A33-03-03-03
$925
Most calibrations of platinum-rhodium thermocouples are performed by comparison with a calibrated type-S (Pt-10%Rh/Pt) or type-R (Pt-13%Rh/PT) thermocouple in an electrically-heated tube furnace over the range 250°C to 1100°C with an uncertainty of 0.5°C.

Fees

Thermocouples, Thermistors, and Resistance Thermometers (Including laboratory grade digital thermometers)

This category includes both individual sensors (thermocouples, thermistors, industrial resistance temperature detectors) and various digital instruments which read directly in terms of temperature. Calibrations are performed by comparison against SPRTs or standard thermocouples which determine the calibration temperature. The comparison facilities include a variety of baths, furnaces, and cryostats. Each calibration involves A33-03-04-01 and one or more of A33-03-04-02 to A33-03-04-05.

A33-03-04-01
$180
This service includes the handling and inspection of each instrument received by the laboratory for calibration.
A33-03-04-02
$255
This service is performed only when it is necessary to anneal an instrument or to perform additional tests to assess its stability.
A33-03-04-03
$550
This service calibrates thermocouples within the range 300°C to 1100°C within an electrically-heated tube furnace by comparison with a type-S thermocouple as the standard.
A33-03-04-04
$420
A high-temperature furnace with a molybdenum disilicide heating element is available for calibrations within the range 1100°C to 1800°C. This service tests one instrument at one calibration temperature within the specified range. Separate fees apply to each instrument and each calibration temperature.
A33-03-04-05
$840
Within the range -80°C to 500°C, comparisons are carried out in stirred liquid baths (alcohol, water, oil, nitrate salts) with an SPRT as the standard. A calibration consists of five to ten data points within the range of the instrument.
A33-03-04-06
$200
Comparison near the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (approximately -196°C).

Fees

Radiation Thermometers

Radiation Thermometers (RTs) are calibrated using a wide variety of variable temperature blackbody sources (VTBBs) covering a total range of -40 °C to 2500 °C. For temperatures below 1000 °C, the blackbodies are measured with a Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometer (SPRT) or a Au:Pt standard thermocouple traceable to the NRC realization of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). For temperatures over 1000 °C, the blackbody is measured with a radiance temperature transfer standard calibrated in accordance with the ITS-90. Radiation Thermometers with a field-of-view (spot size) up to and including 20mm may be calibrated in this manner. RT calibrations using Fixed Point blackbody sources (FPBBs) are also available using Indium, Tin, Zinc, Aluminum, and Silver FPBBs. Other radiation thermometers may be calibrated by special arrangement.

A33-03-05-01
$1885
This service is for the calibration of a Radiation Thermometer. The client must first contact the laboratory to confirm the calibration range and number of temperature points, and to schedule the calibration. There may be additional charges for multiple ranges or additional points.

Fees

Strip Filament Lamps

Tungsten strip-filament lamps (vacuum and gas-filled) may be calibrated for use as transfer standards for the calibration of optical pyrometers. The calibration is performed by comparing the lamps to be calibrated with lamps which have been previously calibrated against blackbody standards using a primary photoelectric pyrometer.

A33-03-06-01
$775
Each lamp must be stabilized by aging it at high temperature (near the maximum range of the lamp) for a length of time sufficient to allow the output of the lamp to stabilize, as significant changes in the lamp output occur due to recrystallization of the tungsten filament. This service handles the annealing and stability-monitoring processes performed prior to calibration of a lamp and is a prerequisite for A33-03-06-02.
A33-03-06-02
$2175
Each lamp is calibrated in terms of brightness temperature (at 660 nm) as a function of direct current within the temperature range 800°C to 2200°C.

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