NAT'L INST OF STAND & TECH R.I.C REFERENCE Pm Plllf ! Zms AlllOS 03L137 NIST SPECIAL PUBLICATION 260" 1 1 3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Materials: Description and Use of a Precision Thermometer for the Clinical Laboratory, SRM 934 100 .157 j NO.260-113 ; 1990 B. W. Mangum and J. A. Wise Standard Reference Materials: Description and Use of a Precision Thermometer for the Clinical Laboratory, SRM 934 B. W. Mangum and J. A. Wise Chemical Process Metrology Division National Measurement Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 Supersedes SP 260-48 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, John W. Lyons, Director Issued June 1990 National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 260-113 Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Spec. Publ. 260-113, 21 pages (June 1990) CODEN: NSPUE2 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1990 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 Preface Standard Reference Materials (SRM's) as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are well-characterized materials, produced in quantity and certified for one or more physical or chemical properties. They are used to assure the accuracy and compatibility of measurements throughout the Nation. SRM's are widely used as primary standards in many diverse fields in science, industry, and technology, both within the United States and throughout the world. They are also used extensively in the fields of environmental and clinical analysis. In many applications, traceability of quality control and measurement processes to the national measurement system is carried out through the mechanism and use of SRM's. For many of the Nation's scientists and technologists it is therefore of more than passing interest to know the details of the measurements made at NIST in arriving at the certified - values of the SRM's produced. The NIST Special Publication 260 Series , is reserved for this purpose. The 260 Series is dedicated to the dissemination of information on different phases of the preparation, measurement, certification and use of NIST SRM's. In general, much more detail will be found in these papers than is generally allowed, or desirable, in scientific journal articles. This enables the user to assess the validity and accuracy of the measurement processes employed, to judge the statistical analysis, and to learn details of techniques and methods utilized for work entailing the greatest care and accuracy. These papers also should provide sufficient additional information not found on the certificate so that new applications in diverse fields not foreseen at the time the SRM was originally issued will be sought and found. Inquiries concerning the technical content of this paper should be directed to the author(s) . Other questions concerned with the availability, delivery, price, and so forth, will receive prompt attention from: Standard Reference Materials Program National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 William P. Reed, Acting Chief Standard Reference Materials Program iii CONTENTS PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE SRM 934 THERMOMETER 2 III. CALIBRATION OF THE THERMOMETER 3 IV. PROCEDURES FOR PROPER USAGE OF LIQUID- IN-GLASS THERMOMETERS 3 A. Check for Separated Mercury Columns and for Gas Bubbles 3 B. Ice Point Determination 4 C. Emergent -Stem Correction 5 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 7 VI. REFERENCES 8 LIST OF FIGURES Figure PAGE 1. The thermometer of SRM 934. The divisions are 0.05 °C and the graduations have longer lines at intervals of 0.10 °C and 0.50 °C 9 2. A drawing showing the principal features of a solid-stem liquid-in-glass thermometer 10 iv OTHER NIST PUBLICATIONS IN THIS SERIES McKenzie, R. L., ed., NIST Standard Reference Materi- Napolitano, A., and Hawkins, E. G., Standard Reference als Catalog 1990-91, NIST Spec. Publ. 260 (January Materials: Viscosity of Standard Lead-Silica Glass, 1990) NBS Misc. Publ. 260-11 (November 1966). Michaelis, R. E., and Wyman, L. L., Standard Reference Yakowitz, H., Vieth, D. L., and Michaelis, R. E., Stan- Materials: Preparation of White Cast Iron dard Reference Materials: Homogeneity Character- Spectrochemical Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-1 ization of NBS Spectrometric Standards III: White (June 1964). COM74-11061** Cast Iron and Stainless Steel Powder Compact, NBS Michaelis, R. E., Wyman, L. L., and Flitsch, R., Standard Misc. Publ. 260-12 (September 1966). Reference Materials: Preparation of NBS Copper- Menis, O., and Sterling, J. T., Standard Reference Mate- Base Spectrochemical Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. rials: Determination of Oxygen in Ferrous Materi- 260-2 (October 1964). COM74- 11063** als—SRM 1090, 1091, and 1092, NBS Misc. Publ. Michaelis, R. E., Yakowitz, H., and Moore, G. A., Stan- 260-14 (September 1966). dard Reference Materials: Metallographic Character- Yakowitz, H, Michaelis, R. E., and Vieth, D. L., Stan- ization of an NBS Spectrometric Low-Alloy Steel dard Reference Materials: Homogeneity Character- Standard, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-3 (October 1964). ization of NBS Spectrometric Standards IV: COM74-11060** Preparation and Microprobe Characterization of W- Alvarez, R., and Flitsch, R., Standard Reference Materi- 20% Mo Alloy Fabricated by Powder Metallurgical als: Accuracy of Solution X-Ray Spectrometric Anal- Methods, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-16 (January 1969). ysis of Copper-Base Alloys, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-5 COM74-11062** (March 1965). PB168068** Paule, R. C, and Mandel, J., Standard Reference Mate- Shultz, J. I., Standard Reference Materials: Methods for rials: Analysis of Interlaboratory Measurements on the Chemical Analysis of White Cast Iron Standards, the Vapor Pressure of Gold (Certification of Standard NBS Misc. Publ. 260-6 (July 1965). COM74- Reference Material 745). NBS Spec. Publ. 260-19 11068** (January 1970). PB190071** Bell, R. K., Standard Reference Materials: Methods for Paule, R. C, and Mandel, J., Standard Reference Mate- the Chemical Analysis of NBS Copper-Base rials: Analysis of Interlaboratory Measurements on Spectrochemical Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-7 the Vapor Pressures of Cadmium and Silver, NBS (October 1965). COM74-11067** Spec. Publ. 260-21 (January 1971). COM74-1 1359** Richmond, M. S., Standard Reference Materials: Analy- Yakowitz, H, Fiori, C. E., and Michaelis, R. E., Standard sis of Uranium Concentrates at the National Bureau Reference Materials: Homogeneity Characterization of Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-8 (December of Fe-3 Si Alloy, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-22 (February 1965). COM74- 11066** 1971). COM74-1 1357** Anspach, S. C, Cavallo, L. M., Garfinkel, S. B., Hutch- Napolitano, A., and Hawkins, E. G., Standard Reference inson, J. M. R., and Smith, C. N., Standard Reference Materials: Viscosity of a Standard Borosilicate Glass, Materials: Half Lives of Materials Used in the Prepa- NBS Spec. Publ. 260-23 (December 1970). COM71- ration of Standard Reference Materials of Nineteen 00157** Radioactive Nuclides Issued by the National Bureau Sappenfield, K. M., Marinenko, G., and Hague, J. L., of Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-9 (November Standard Reference Materials: Comparison of Redox 1965). COM74-1 1065** Standards, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-24 (January 1972). Yakowitz, H., Vieth, D. L., Heinrich, K. F. J., and Mi- COM72-50058** chaelis, R. E., Standard Reference Materials: Homo- Hicho, G. E., Yakowitz, H., Rasberry, S. D., and Michae- geneity Characterization of NBS Spectrometric lis, R. E., Standard Reference Materials: A Standard Standards II: Cartridge Brass and Low-Alloy Steel, Reference Material Containing Nominally Four Per- NBS Misc. Publ. 260-10 (December 1965). COM74- cent Austenite, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-25 (February 11064** 1971). COM74-1 1356** v Martin, J. R, Standard Reference Materials: National Clark, A. F., Denson, V. A., Hust, J. G., and Powell, R. Bureau of Standards-US Steel Corporation Joint Pro- L., Standard Reference Materials: The Eddy Current gram for Determining Oxygen and Nitrogen in Steel, Decay Method for Resistivity Characterization of NBS Spec. Publ. 260-26 (February 1971). PB High-Purity Metals, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-39 (May 81176620** 1972). COM72-50529** Gamer, E. L., Machlan, L. A., and Shields, W. R., McAdie, H. G., Gam, P. D., and Menis, O., Standard Standard Reference Materials: Uranium Isotopic Reference Materials: Selection of Thermal Analysis Standard Reference Materials, NBS Spec. Publ. 260- Temperature Standards Through a Cooperative Study 27 (April 1971). COM74-1 1358** (SRM 758, 759, 760), NBS Spec. Publ. 260-40 (Au- Heinrich, K. F. J., Myklebust, R. L., Rasberry, S. D., and gust 1972) COM72-50776** Michaelis, R. E., Standard Reference Materials: Prep- Wagner, H. L., and Verdier, P. H., eds., Standard Refer- aration and Evaluation of SRM's 481 and 482 Gold- ence Materials: The Characterization of Linear Poly- Silver and Gold-Copper Alloys for Microanalysis, ethylene, SRM 1475, NBS Spec. Publ. 260-42 NBS Spec. Publ. 260-28 (August 1971). COM71- (September 1972). COM72-50944** 50365** Yakowitz, H., Ruff, A. W., and Michaelis, R. E., Stan- Geller, S. B., Standard Reference Materials: Calibration dard Reference Materials: Preparation and Homoge- of NBS Secondary Standard Magnetic Tape (Com- neity Characterization of an Austenitic puter Amplitude Reference) Using the Reference Iron-Chromium-Nickel Alloy, NBS Spec. Publ. 260- Tape Amplitude Measurement "Process A-Model 43 (November 1972). COM73-50760** 2," NBS Spec. Publ. 260-29 (June 1971). COM71- Schooley, J. F., Soulen, R. J., Jr., and Evans, G. A., Jr., 50282** Standard Reference Materials: Preparation and Use of Gorozhanina, R. S., Freedman, A. Y., and Shaievitch, A. Superconductive Fixed Point Devices, SRM 767, B. (translated by M. C. Selby), Standard Reference NBS Spec. Publ. 260^4 (December 1972). COM73- Materials: Standard Samples Issued in the USSR (A 50037** Translation from the Russian), NBS Spec. Publ. 260- Greifer, B., Maienthal, E. J., Rains, T. C, and Rasberry, 30 (June 1971). COM7 1-50283** S.