Thermometry
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. NRC normally calibrates only first-class thermometric instruments. We may refuse to undertake certain, or all, methods of calibration for inferior instruments. We can advise clients on the selection, use and appropriate calibration of thermometers for any aspect of temperature measurement.
Facilities
NRC has a complete set of primary standards (calibration equipment and thermometers), which enables us to realize the ITS-90, in accordance with its definition, from 14 K to 2500 K. In addition, we have 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.
Fees
If you wish to order a calibration service, please request a quote from the following technical contact:
Doug Gee
Telephone: 613-993-2393
Email: Douglas.Gee@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Note that the calibration costs quoted DO NOT include shipping, insurance or the cost of a customs broker. The client must arrange and pay for these services separately.
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-00-00 | Custom temperature standards measurements or services | Fee on request |
| A33-03-00-01 | Handling fee. 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. | $250 |
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 | aluminium 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 Ω at 0 °C) normally operate between 84 K and 660°C. The high-temperature platinum resistance thermometer (HTPRT) (0.25 to 2.5 Ω at 0 °C) may be operated to 961.78 °C.
Preliminary preparation and testing
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-02-01 | 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. |
$920 |
Capsule-type SPRTs
Calibrations of capsule-type SPRTs are available for the following temperature ranges:
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-02-02 | 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. | $9275 |
| A33-03-02-03x | From 24.6 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of equilibrium hydrogen, neon, oxygen, argon, mercury and water. | $9275 |
| A33-03-02-04 | From 54.4 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of oxygen, argon, mercury and water. | $4640 |
| A33-03-02-05 | From 83.8 K to 273 K. This includes calibration at the triple points of argon, mercury and water. | $3090 |
Long-stem SPRTs and HTPRTs
The following services are provided for long-stem SPRTs and HTPRTs. The temperature ranges are as shown for each calibration.
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-02-06 | From -189 °C to 0 °C. This includes calibration at the triple points of argon, mercury and water. | $2260 |
| A33-03-02-11 | From -38 °C to 30 °C. This includes calibration at the triple points of mercury and water and at the melting point of gallium. | $1525 |
| A33-03-02-12 | From -38 °C to 157 °C. Includes triple points of mercury and water and freezing points of indium. | $2260 |
| A33-03-02-15 | From 0 °C to 30 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and at the melting point of gallium. | $735 |
| A33-03-02-16 | From 0 °C to 157 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing point of indium. | $735 |
| A33-03-02-17 | From 0 °C to 232 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of indium and tin. | $1525 |
| A33-03-02-18 | From 0 °C to 420 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin and zinc. | $1525 |
| A33-03-02-19 | From 0 °C to 660 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin, zinc and aluminium. | $2260 |
| A33-03-02-20 | From 0 °C to 962 °C. This includes calibration at the triple point of water and the freezing points of tin, zinc, aluminium and silver. | $3785 |
| A33-03-02-21 | Re-issue of a report. | $250 |
Platinum-rhodium thermocouples
Standard platinum 10 percent 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 percent rhodium/platinum thermocouples (type R) of the same construction will also be calibrated under A33-03-03-03.
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-03-01 | This service provides calibration at the freezing points of zinc, aluminium and silver, with an uncertainty of 0.4 °C. | $2725 |
| A33-03-03-02 | Platinum-rhodium thermocouples may be calibrated at any of the metal freezing points normally available in the laboratory. | $735 |
| A33-03-03-03 | 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. |
$925 |
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 that read directly in terms of temperature. Calibrations are performed by comparison against SPRTs or standard thermocouples that 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.
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-04-01 | This service includes the handling and inspection of each instrument received by the laboratory for calibration. | $220 |
| A33-03-04-02 | This service is performed only when it is necessary to anneal an instrument or to perform additional tests to assess its stability. | $255 |
| A33-03-04-03 | 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. | $560 |
| A33-03-04-04 | A high-temperature furnace with a molybdenum disilicide heating element is available for calibrations within the range 1100 °C to 1700 °C. This service tests one instrument at one calibration temperature within the specified range. Separate fees apply to each instrument and each calibration temperature. |
$420 |
| A33-03-04-05 | 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. | $135 per point |
| A33-03-04-06 | Comparison near the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (approximately -196 °C). | $210 |
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 20 mm may be calibrated in this manner. RT calibrations using fixed point blackbody sources (FPBBs) are also available using indium, tin, zinc, aluminium, and silver FPBBs. Other radiation thermometers may be calibrated by special arrangement.
| Calibration number | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A33-03-05-01 | 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. |
$1885 |
Contact
Doug Gee
Telephone: 613-993-2393
Email: Douglas.Gee@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Business Office: inmsbusino@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
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