ISSN: 1546-962X
CODEN: JAIOAD
Page Count: 9

Selection of Alternatives to Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers

Ripple, DC
Group Leader, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD

Strouse, GF
Physicist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD

(Received 4 March 2005; accepted 20 July 2005)

Abstract

A desire to increase automation or to eliminate the use of mercury has prompted several ASTM committees to consider alternatives to ASTM Liquid-in-Glass (LiG) thermometers. In this paper, we address the technical issues of choosing an alternative. We first discuss the basic properties and relative merits of platinum resistance thermometers, thermistors, and thermocouples in the context of replacements for LiG thermometers; then we list uncertainty components for measurements with alternative thermometers; and finally we discuss other factors in temperature measurement and control that are important in the development and execution of ASTM standards.

Keywords:
liquid in glass, mercury, resistance thermometer, temperature, thermistor, thermocouple, thermometer, temperature

Paper ID: JAI13404
DOI: 10.1520/JAI13404
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