Platinum Resistance Thermometry
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NBS MONOGRAPH 126 Platinum Resistance Thermometry Platinum Resistance Thermometry 55fc - John L. Riddle, George T. Furukawa, and Harmon H. Plumb Institute for Basic Standards National Bureau of Standards »>. Washington, D.C. 20234 < i U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Frederick B. Dent, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Richard W. Roberts, Director Issued April 1973 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-60003 National Bureau of Standards Monograph 126 Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Monogr. 126, 1 29 pages (Apr. 1972) CODEN: NBSMA6 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Price: S2.10, domestic postpaid: $1.75, GPO Bookstore. Stock No. 0303-01052 (Order by SD Catalog No. C13.44:126). Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 2. Background and basic concepts. 1 2.1. Thermodynamic temperature scale 2 2.2. Practical temperature scales 2 3. Platinum resistance thermometer construction 4 4. Using the thermometer 9 4.1. Mechanical treatment of SPRT 9 4.2. Thermal treatment of SPRT 10 4.3. Thermometer immersion 13 4.4. Heating effects in SPRT 13 5. Resistance measurements 17 5.1. Mueller bridge 18 5.1.1. Bridge ratio arms 19 5.1.2. Bridge current reversal 20 5.2. A-C bridge 20 5.3. Potentiometric methods 20 6. Calculation of temperatures from the calibration data and observed resistances 22 6.1. Temperatures from 0 to 630.74 °C 22 6.2. Temperatures belowf 0 °C 24 - 6.2.1. 182.962 °C (90.188 K) to 0 °C (273.15 K) , 25 6.2.2. 13.81 to 90.188 K 26 6.2.2.1. 54.361 to 90.188 K 26 6.2.2.2. 20.28 to 54.361 K 26 6.2.2.3. 13.81 to 20.28 K 26 6.2.3. Calibration tables between 13.81 and 273.15 K (0 °C) 26 6.3. Errors of temperature determinations 26 7. Calibration 28 7.1. Triple point of water 29 7.2. Metal freezing points 31 7.3. Metal freezing point furnaces 35 7.4. Tin-point cell 37 7.5. Zinc-point cell 43 7.6. Oxygen normal boiling point 44 7.7. Comparison calibration between 13.81 and 90.188 K... 47 8. References 50 9. Appendixes: A. The International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (adopted by the Comite International des Poids et Measures) 52 B. Comparison of assigned fixed point values and interpolating formulae in the tempera- ture ranges defined by the platinum resistance thermometer for ITS-27, ITS-48, IPTS-48, and lPTS-68 62 III Page C. Tables of difference in the values of temperature between the IPTS-48 and IPTS-68 and between the NBS-1955 and IPTS-68 in the temperature range 13 K to 630 °C... 64 D. Table of the function and its derivative from t' = 0°C to i' = 650°C 74 E. Tables of values of the reference function and its derivative from 7"= 13 K to r= 273.15 K and over the equivalent range of temperature with the argument in degrees Celsius 81 F. Analysis of the first derivatives at 0 °C of IPTS—68 platinum resistance thermometer formulations above and below 0 °C 106 G. Derivation of differential coefficients for the analysis of errors in platinum resistance thermometry 108 H. Calibration of Mueller bridges 113 I. Calibration of the linearity of a potentiometer 122 J. Guide for obtaining the calibration of standard platinum resistance thermometers... 124 iv Platinum Resistance Thermometry John L. Riddle, George T. Furukawa, and Harmon H. Plumb The monograph describes the methods and equipment employed at the National Bureau of Stand- ards for calibrating standard platinum resistance thermometers (SPRT) on the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (IPTS-68). The text of the scale is clarified and characteristics of the scale are described. Several designs of SPRT's are shown and discussed in the light of the requirements and recommendations of the text of the IPTS—68. Possible sources of error such as those due to the internal and external self-heating effects and the immersion characteristics of SPRT's are described in detail. Precautions and limitations for the mechanical and thermal treatment and for the shipment of SPRT's are indicated, and a guide is given for those desiring the thermometer calibration services of NBS. The description of equipment employed at the National Bureau of Standards for maintaining the IPTS-68 includes the triple point of water cell, tin point cell, zinc point cell, oxygen normal boiling point comparison cryostat, the 13 to 90 K comparison cryostat, and the reference SPRT's upon which the NBS-IPTS-68 in the region 13 to 90 K is based. Methods are given for calculating temperatures from the calibration data and observed resistances; the propagation of calibration errors is discussed. Supplemental information given in the Appendices includes the authorized English version of the text of the IPTS-68, tabular values of the reference function used below 0 °C, tabular values of the differences between IPTS-68 and IPTS-48, analysis of the first derivatives at 0 °C of the IPTS-68 formulations, methods for calibrating potentiometers and Mueller bridges, and the derivation of the coefficients used in the analysis of error propagation. Key words; Calibration; calibration errors; cryostat; fixed points; freezing points; International Prac- tical Temperature Scale; platinum resistance thermometer; thermodynamic temperature scale; thermometry; triple point. 1. Introduction The information presented in this monograph is intended for those who use standard platinum The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) has resistance thermometers, who wish to submit the responsibility to establish, maintain, and such thermometers to the NBS for calibration, or develop the standards for physical measurements who desire information that will aid in establishing necessary for the nation's industrial and scientific local calibration facilities. Good practice in the use progress and, in cooperation with other national of these thermometers is emphasized to assist in laboratories, to establish international uniformity the realization of accuracy that is commensurate of the basic physical quantitites. Dissemination of with their capability, as well as to point out their in- these standards and the methodology of measure- herent limitations. This monograph describes the ments is accomplished by appropriate publica- calibration of standard platinum resistance ther- tions, consultation, and calibration services. One mometers at the NBS including the equipment, the of the important activities is the realization, re- techniques, and procedures. The discussion of production, and transmission of the International IPTS-68, the defining fixed points, the interpolation Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 (IPTS-68), formulae, the design of standard platinum resistance the present basis for assigning uniform values of thermometers, and pertinent procedures which lead temperature. Standard platinum resistance ther- to "state of the art" measurements are presented mometers are the prescribed interpolation instru- in considerable detail. ments for realizing the IPTS-68 from 13.8 to 904 K; they also serve as reference standards for calibrat- ing many other types of thermometers, e.g., Uquid- 2. Background and Basic Concepts in-glass thermometers. Thus standard platinum resistance thermometers are the base for an The development of the platinum resistance extremely large fraction of the temperature meas- thermometer resulted in an internationally accepta- urements made in science and technology. ble practical temperature scale defined to give 1 values of temperatures close to those on the 2.2. Practical Temperature Scales thermodynamic scale. The birth of platinum resistance thermometers as useful precision Accurate measurements of values of temperature instruments occurred in 1887 when H. L. Callendar on the thermodynamic scale are fraught with ex- [16]' reported that platinum resistance thermom- perimental difficulties, yet aU values of tempera- eters exhibited the prerequisite stability and ture should be referable to the Kelvin thermody- reproducibility if they were properly constructed namic scale. "Practical" temperature scales are and treated with sufficient care. In the next four intended to give values of temperature that are decades the platinum resistance thermometers comparatively easily reproduced and, therefore, gained such wide acceptance that their use was utilitarian, but most are based on functions that proposed and adopted by the Comite International are not related to the first and second laws of des Poids et Measures in 1927 in defining values thermodynamics. In contrast, vapor pressure scales, on a practical scale of temperature, the first In- e.g., that of ^He [13], are based on the laws of ternational Temperature Scale [15]. Since that thermodynamics as is also the radiation pyrometry time improvements in the purity of platinum and scale. Because many physical laws are based on other materials of construction, in thermometer thermodynamic temperatures, the values of tem- design, and in calibration techniques have yielded perature on any practical scale should be as close improvements in the precision, accuracy, and to the thermodynamic scale as is possible or the range of temperatures that can be measured with differences between a practical scale and the platinum resistance thermometers. The inter- thermodynamic scale should be appropriately national scale has been redefined both to take ad- documented so that conversions from the practical vantage of these improvements and to bring the scale to the thermodynamic temperature scale are scale more nearly into agreement with the thermo- possible. dynamic scale. Many practical scales have been used in the last fifty years, but the only scales employing platinum 2.1. Thermodynamic Temperature Scale resistance thermometers that have had wide- spread use in the United States were those de- Temperature scales based on functions that fined and sanctioned by either the International can be derived from the first and second laws of Committee of Weights and Measures or the Na- thermodynamics, and hence that give values of tional Bureau of Standards.