Standard Reference Materials in the European Community

Abstract

Standard reference materials within the European Community are developed by the "Bureau Communautaire de Reference." The development of reference materials for the measurements of steady-state thermal transmission properties was started in 1975 with two candidates: a high-density resin-bonded glass-fibre board and Pyrex. The first is now the reference material RM 64, certified be tween 170 and 370 K. The second candidate, Pyrex, is still under investigation, first of all to find a reliable procedure to correctly define the surface temperatures of specimens under test. Only recently it was decided to develop a reference material for measure ments on light-density fibrous insulations that exhibit a relevant so-called thickness-effect. Investigations started on a 10 kg/m3 organic fibrous material. The reason for this preliminary choice was the large thickness-effect of the material and its acceptable homogeneity; the main limit of this material is its dimensional stability under compressive load and after thermal cycling. For each material, short accounts are given on experimental results and on future research programs.