Bilateral ITS-90 Comparison at WC-C Peritectic Fixed Point Between NIM and NPL

摘要

The WC-C peritectic fixed point, nominal melting and freezing temperature 2747 °C, shows extremely good metrological potential. Elsewhere, we published a prototype scale comparison of the ITS-90 between NPL, NIM and CEM, using high temperature eutectic fixed points (HTFPs) of Co-C (1324 °C), Pt-C (1738 °C), and Re-C (2474 °C). In this paper we present the further results of the bilateral comparison of the ITS-90 at an even higher temperature, 2747 °C, between NIM and NPL using WC-C peritectic fixed points. A NIM single zone high temperature furnace, model Chino IR-80, was modified to extend its temperature to 2800 °C. Then, an NPL researcher, on secondment to NIM, filled two WC-C cells in the modified furnace in a vertical position. The two WC-C cells were then realized in the same furnace, in an horizontal position. Their melting temperatures, defined by the inflection point of the melting curves, were measured by a linear pyrometer, model NIM-PSP. NIM's ITS-90 scale was assigned to the two cells, which were then transported to NPL. The realization of NPL's ITS-90 was then assigned to the two cells by using a model HT9500 Thermogauge furnace to realize the fixed points and a linear pyrometer, model LP3, to determine their temperature. The difference from the mean value of the NIM and NPL ITS-90 values for the WC-C points was derived. This allowed us to compare ITS-90 as realized by the two institutes and to determine the uncertainty in the scale comparison.