1.1 This guide covers the general requirements for the operation of a system for accreditation of calibration and testing laboratories so that the accreditation granted and the services covered by the accreditations may be recognized at a national or an international level and the body operating the accreditation system may be recognized at a national or international level as competent and reliable. 1.2 Users of the services of an accreditation body, other than the laboratories accredited by that accreditation body, may require compliance with additional requirements to those specified in this guide. 1.3 The object of this guide is to provide guidance for the set-up and operation of an accreditation body and to facilitate agreement on mutual recognition of accreditation of laboratories between such bodies. Note 1-It is recognized that agreements on mutual recognition of accreditation aiming at the removal of barriers to across-border trade may have to cover other aspects not explicitly specified in these general requirements, such as proficiency testing or other interlaboratory comparisons, exchange of staff or training programs. In particular, with a view to create confidence and harmonize the interpretation and implementation of standards, each accreditation body should encourage technical cooperation and exchange of experience among laboratories accredited by it, and it should be prepared to exchange information on accreditation procedures and practices with other accreditation bodies. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsiblity of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This practice covers procedures for adjusting the size ranges of an airborne discrete particle counter (DPC) to match size/concentration data from a reference DPC that has been calibrated for counting and sizing accuracy in accordance with Practice F 328 and is kept in good working order. The practice is applied in situations where time, capabilities, or both, required for carrying out procedures in Practice F 328 are not available. It is particularly useful where more than one DPC may be required to observe an environment where the particulate material being counted and sized is different in composition from the precision spherical particulate materials used for calibration in Practice F 328 and/or all of the DPCs in use are not similar in optical or electronic design.1.2 Procedures covered here include those to measure sampled and observed air volume or flow rate, zero count level, particle sizing and counting accuracy, particle sizing resolution, particle counting efficiency, and particle concentration limit.
1.1 This test method covers a procedure for calibrating a mass spectrometer-type helium leak detector with a series of commercially available calibrated leaks without need for recourse to a primary standard.1.2 Leak detector parameters determined by this test method include:1.2.1 Minimum detectable signal, drift noise (8.5, with recorder; 8.6, without recorder),1.2.2 Response time,1.2.3 Minimum detectable leak rate, and1.2.4 Sensitivity.1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This test method covers all pyranometers having calibrations sensitive to tilt. 1.2 This test method combines measurement and calculation, yielding calibration factors derived from many measurements and identified with either a single tilt angle or at normal incidence with one or only a few specific angles of tilt. 1.3 This test method is applicable to reference pyranometers regardless of the radiation receptor employed. 1.4 Two types of calibrations are covered: Type I employs a self-calibrating pyrheliometer, and Type II calibrations employ a secondary reference pyrheliometer as the standard instrument. 1.5 This test method provides for calibration at fixed south facing tilts from the horizontal with instrument constant data obtained at various angles of incidence throughout the day at that tilt. 1.6 Calibration of reference pyranometers may be performed by a method in which the axis of the sensitive element is aligned with the sun during the shading disk test. This procedure avoids the effect of cosine errors, but emphasizes the importance of tilt corrections. 1.7 The calibration of reference pyranometers at horizontal, that is, with axis vertical, is covered in another ASTM standard (see Section 2). 1.8 This test method is applicable only to calibration procedures using light from the sun.
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for establishing the sizing accuracy of an automatic, optical liquid-borne single particle counter, using light scattering automatic particle counter (APC). This test method is directed at determining the sizing accuracy of the APC when it is used to measure a challenge suspension of precisely-sized spherical isotropic particles, particularly those sized at and below 1 [mu]m in diameter.1.2 The particle size parameter that is reported is the equivalent diameter based on the projected area of an isotropic spherical particle of known composition suspended in a liquid that is optically different from the suspended particle. Particles in the size range of 0.1 [mu]m and 5 [mu]m are used for calibration in this procedure.1.3 This test method does not provide a procedure for APC counting accuracy calibration, since that procedure is available in Practice F658. However, some knowledge of APC maximum concentration capability is necessary in order to avoid introduction of sizing errors as a result of excessive particle concentration during the sizing calibration procedure.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For hazard statement, see Section 8.
5.1 Appropriate application of this practice should result in an IDE achievable by most laboratories properly using the test method studied. This IDE provides the basis for any prospective use of the test method by qualified laboratories for reliable detection of low-level concentrations of the same analyte as the one studied in this practice and same media (matrix). 5.2 The IDE values may be used to compare the detection power of different methods for analysis of the same analyte in the same matrix. 5.3 The IDE provides high probability (approximately 95 %) that result values of the method studied which exceed the IDE represent presence of analyte in the sample and high probability (approximately 99 %) that blank samples will not result in a detection. 5.4 The IDE procedure should be used to establish the interlaboratory detection capability for any application of a method where interlaboratory detection is important to data use. The intent of IDE is not to set reporting limits. 1.1 This practice establishes a standard for computing a 99 %/95 % Interlaboratory Detection Estimate (IDE) and provides guidance concerning the appropriate use and application. The calculations involved in this practice can be performed with DQCALC, Microsoft Excel-based software available from ASTM.2 1.2 The IDE is computed to be the lowest concentration at which there is 90 % confidence that a single measurement from a laboratory selected from the population of qualified laboratories represented in an interlaboratory study will have a true detection probability of at least 95 % and a true nondetection probability of at least 99 % (when measuring a blank sample). 1.3 The fundamental assumption of the collaborative study is that the media tested, the concentrations tested, and the protocol followed in the study provide a representative and fair evaluation of the scope and applicability of the test method as written. When properly applied, the IDE procedure ensures that the 99 %/95 % IDE has the following properties: 1.3.1 Routinely Achievable IDE Value—Most laboratories are able to attain the IDE detection performance in routine analyses, using a standard measurement system, at reasonable cost. This property is needed for a detection limit to be practically feasible. Representative laboratories must be included in the data to calculate the IDE. 1.3.2 Routine Sources of Error Accounted For—The IDE should realistically include sources of bias and variation which are common to the measurement process. These sources include, but are not limited to: intrinsic instrument noise, some typical amount of carryover error, plus differences in laboratories, analysts, sample preparation, and instruments. 1.3.3 Avoidable Sources of Error Excluded—The IDE should realistically exclude avoidable sources of bias and variation, that is, those which can reasonably be avoided in routine field measurements. Avoidable sources would include, but are not limited to: modifications to the sample, measurement procedure, or measurement equipment of the validated method, and gross and easily discernible transcription errors (provided there was a way to detect and either correct or eliminate them). 1.3.4 Low Probability of False Detection—The IDE is a true concentration consistent with a measured concentration threshold (critical measured value) that will provide a high probability, 99 %, of true nondetection (a low probability of false detection, α = 1 %). Thus, when measuring a blank sample, the probability of not detecting the analyte would be 99 %. To be useful, this must be demonstrated for the particular matrix being used, and not just for reagent water. 1.3.5 Low Probability of False Nondetection—The IDE should be a true concentration at which there is a high probability, at least 95 %, of true detection (a low probability of false nondetection, β = 5 %, at the IDE), with a simultaneous low probability of false detection (see 1.3.4). Thus, when measuring a sample at the IDE, the probability of detection would be at least 95 %. To be useful, this must be demonstrated for the particular matrix being used, and not just for reagent water. Note 1—The referenced probabilities, α and β, are key parameters for risk-based assessment of a detection limit. 1.4 The IDE applies to measurement methods for which calibration error is minor relative to other sources, such as when the dominant source of variation is one of the following (with comment): 1.4.1 Sample Preparation, and calibration standards do not have to go through sample preparation. 1.4.2 Differences in Analysts, and analysts have little opportunity to affect calibration results (such as with automated calibration). 1.4.3 Differences in Laboratories, for whatever reasons, perhaps difficult to identify and eliminate. 1.4.4 Differences in Instruments (measurement equipment), which could take the form of differences in manufacturer, model, hardware, electronics, sampling rate, chemical processing rate, integration time, software algorithms, internal signal processing and thresholds, effective sample volume, and contamination level. 1.5 Alternative Data Quality Objectives—Other values forα, β, confidence, etc. may be chosen for calculating an IDE; however, this procedure addresses only the 99 %/95 % IDE.
1.1 This test method covers employing the narrow beam of thermal energy emitted through the aperture of a blackbody to calibrate calorimetric devices. Although the calorimeter normally responds to incident heat which is predominantly convective, this method of calibration employs radiant energy. Use of radiant energy dictates that the absolute value of radiant flux at the surface of the calorimeter be determined to provide an accurate calibration. This method, applicable in place of the wide-angle source technique, is suited to relatively low values of irradiance (typically less than 10 W/m ). 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibililty of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
Electronic transducer-based pressure measurement systems must be subjected to static calibration under room conditions to ensure reliable conversion from system output to pressure during use in laboratory or in field applications. Transducer-based pressure measurement systems should be calibrated before initial use and at least quarterly thereafter and after any change in the electronic or mechanical configuration of a system. Transducer-based pressure measurement systems should also be recalibrated if a component is dropped; overloaded; if ambient test conditions change significantly; or for any other significant changes in a system. Static calibration is not appropriate for transducerbased systems used under operating environmental conditions involving vibration, shock, or acceleration.1.1 This practice covers the procedure for static calibration of electronic transducer-based systems used to measure fluid pressures in laboratory or in field applications associated with geotechnical testing. 1.2 This practice is used to determine the accuracy of electronic transducer-based pressure measurement systems over the full pressure range of the system or over a specified operating pressure range within the full pressure range. 1.3 This practice may also be used to determine a relationship between pressure transducer system output and applied pressure for use in converting from one value to the other (calibration curve). This relationship for electronic pressure transducer systems is usually linear and may be reduced to the form of a calibration factor or a linear calibration equation. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound units in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautionary statements are given in Section 7.
1.1 This practice covers procedures for calibrating and determining performance of an optical liquid-borne particle counter (LPC) which uses an optical system based upon light extinction measurement. This practice is directed towards determination of accuracy and resolution of the LPC for characterizing the size and number of particles, which have been passed into the sample inlet of the LPC. Consideration of inlet sampling efficiency is not part of this practice.1.2 The procedures covered in this practice include those to measure sample volume and flow rate, zero count level, particle sizing and counting accuracy, particle sizing resolution, particle counting efficiency, and particle concentration limit.1.3 The particle size parameter reported in this practice is the equivalent optical diameter based on projected area of calibration particles with known physical properties dispersed in liquid. The manufacturer normally specifies the minimum diameter that can be reported by an LPC; the dynamic range of the LPC being used determines the maximum diameter that can be reported for a single sample. Typical minimum reported diameters are approximately 2 m, and a typical dynamic range specification will be approximately from 50 to 1.1.4 The counting rate capability of the LPC is limited by temporal coincidence of particles in the sensing volume of the LPC and by the saturation level or maximum counting rate capability of the electronic sizing and counting circuitry. Coincidence is defined as the simultaneous presence of more than one particle within the LPC optically defined sensing zone at any time. The coincidence limit is a statistical function of particle concentration in the sample and the sensing zone volume when particle size is insignificant in comparison to the sensing volume dimensions. This limitation may be modified by the presence of particles with dimension so large as to be a significant fraction of the sensing zone dimension. The saturation level rate of the electronic counting circuitry shall be specified by the manufacturer and is normally greater than the LPC recommended maximum counting rate for the particle concentrations used for any portion of this practice.1.5 Calibration in accordance with all parts of this practice may not be required for routine field calibration of an LPC unless significant changes have occurred in operation of the LPC or major component repairs or replacements have been made. The LPC shall then be taken to a suitable metrology facility for complete calibration. Normal routine field calibration may determine sample flow rate, zero count level, and particle sizing accuracy. The specific LPC functions to be calibrated shall be determined on the basis of agreement between the purchaser and the user. The maximum time interval between calibrations shall be determined by agreement between the purchaser and the user, but shall not exceed twelve months, unless LPC stability for longer periods is verified by measurements in accordance with this practice.This standard may involve hazardous materials, operation, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This test method is intended to be used for calibration and characterization of primary terrestrial, silicon photovoltaic reference cells to the global reference spectral irradiance distribution defined by Tables E892. The recommended physical requirements for these reference cells are described in Specification E1040. Reference cells are principally used in the determination of the electrical performance of a photovoltaic device. 1.2 Primary global reference cells are calibrated outdoors in natural sunlight by reference to a pyranometer that is used to measure the global irradiance. 1.3 This test method applies only to the calibration of a photovoltaic cell which demonstrates a linear short-circuit current versus irradiance characteristic over its intended range of use, as defined in Test Method E1143. 1.4 This test method applies only to the calibration of single- or poly-crystalline silicon reference cells that have been fabricated with a single photovoltaic junction. 1.5 There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.