Abstract

ISO 6145-7:2009 specifies a method for continuous production of calibration gas mixtures, containing two or more components, from pure gases or other gas mixtures by use of commercially available thermal mass-flow controllers.

If this method is employed for the preparation of calibration gas mixtures, the optimum performance is as follows: the relative expanded uncertainty of measurement, U, obtained by multiplying the combined standard uncertainty by a coverage factor k = 2, is not greater than 2 %.

If pre-mixed gases are used instead of pure gases, mole fractions below 10^-6 can be obtained. The measurement of mass flow is not absolute and the flow controller requires independent calibration.

The merits of the method are that a large quantity of the gas mixture can be prepared on a continuous basis and that multicomponent mixtures can be prepared as readily as binary mixtures if the appropriate number of thermal mass-flow controllers is utilized.