Mass Balance Method for the SI Value Assignment of the Purity of Organic Compounds

Abstract

A mass balance method is described for determining the mass fraction of the main component of a high purity organic material. The resulting assigned value is established to be traceable to the SI and can be determined with a small associated measurement uncertainty. Pure organic materials with values and uncertainties determined in this way are necessary as primary calibrators of reference measurement systems in order to underpin the metrological traceability of routine measurement results. The method has been applied to materials in which the main components were respectively theophylline, digoxin, 17β-estradiol, and aldrin. Its performance has been validated in international comparisons coordinated by the BIPM and is in principle applicable to a wide structural range of stable, nonvolatile organic compounds. It has been successfully applied to mass fraction assignments when the main component is present in the range of (950-1000) mg/g and can achieve associated standard uncertainties ranging from 0.5 mg/g (for high purity materials or those containing well-characterized, stable minor components) to 2 mg/g (materials with a significant number or variety of impurities). It is in principle equally applicable to materials with a smaller mass fraction content of the main component.