Interlaboratory comparisons and improvements of methods for acid number determination in used motor oils

The results of two interlaboratory comparisons of acid number determinations in used motor oils are discussed. It is shown that the comparability of the measurement results is not as good as that required by known standards for petroleum products. The problem is motor oil contaminants which accumulated during use, and which are the source of a matrix effect in the acid number determination. The standard methods’ drawbacks are analyzed and some improvements are proposed. Repeatability and accuracy of the improved methods are evaluated. Received: 11 December 2001 Accepted: 15 February 2002     

脉冲电场屏蔽效能测试系统及测试方法

 自主研制了一套小型脉冲电场屏蔽效能测试系统，该系统由脉冲电场发射设备和脉冲电场测试设备构成。脉冲电场发射设备的天线口面前60 cm处可产生峰值达7.5 kV/m的脉冲电场，测试设备的动态测试范围达97 dB。系统采用光纤测量设备，在测量工作中能有效抑制强电磁场干扰。采用Matlab编写自动测量及数据处理程序，实现了数据采集与处理自动化。实验测量了金属桥架、控制柜、屏蔽帐篷、导电水泥混凝土房的脉冲电场屏蔽效能，其脉冲电场峰值衰减量分别为52,64,66,30 dB。实验表明可用脉冲电场的峰值衰减量来评估屏蔽体的脉冲电场屏蔽效能。     

利用V型三能级原子与相干态光场Raman相互作用传送未知原子态

描述了简并V型三能级原子与单模相干态光场的Raman相互作用,获得了处于激发态单态的原子与相干态光场相互作用的结果.利用探测原子与光场的相互作用将原子和光场制备成最大缠结态,并注入待测原子,通过原子与腔模构成的Bell基矢演化,对腔场进行选择性探测,获得探测原子相互作用后可能的量子状态,然后对待测原子与腔场进行联合探测,接着对探测原子的量子状态实施幺正变换,就将探测原子制备到待测原子的初始量子态上,从而实现未知原子态的隐形传送.     

基于虚拟仪器的人体皮肤组织吸收光谱检测平台

本文运用光电无损检测技术,采用皮外反射式测量方法,通过光纤光谱仪和虚拟仪器构建人体皮肤组织吸收光谱检测平台.该平台适合于光子-组织相互作用基础研究及激光美容临床检测,可协助医师进行病理诊断和病变程度判别.文中给出几个吸收光谱的检测结果.     

Infrared thermography of masonry structures

The attention of the present paper was devoted to nondestructive evaluation of masonry structures with a Focal Plane Array infrared camera. Tests were carried out in laboratory on specimens, which simulated one- and two-layer structures, with defects of different geometry and nature and located at different depths. The defects detection was analysed through a cause/effect relationship between the characteristics of defects and hosting material and the observed defect thermal signature, or contrast, on the hosting material.     

An estimation of the measurement uncertainty for an optical emission spectrometric method

 A validation procedure based on the ISO/IEC 17025 standard was used to demonstrate the long-term stability of a calibration process and to assess the measurement uncertainty of a standard test method for optical emission vacuum spectrometric analysis of carbon and low-alloy steel (ASTM E 415–99a). The validation was used to provide documented evidence that the selected method fulfils the requirements and that the method is ”fit for purpose”. A test for drift was applied to determine statistically whether the analytical results vary systematically with time. The accuracy and traceability of the optimised method were tested by an analysis of closely matched matrix certified reference materials (CRMs). The measurement uncertainty estimations took account of the precision study, the bias and its uncertainty, and the qualification of uncertainties not considered in the overall performance studies. Received: 2 November 2002 Accepted: 2 January 2003 Acknowledgement The author expresses gratitude to Dr. Aleš Fajgelj for helpful discussions during the 3rd Central European Conference on Reference Materials and Measurements. Presented at CERMM-3, Central European Reference Materials and Measurements Conference: The function of reference materials in the measurement process, May 30–June 1, 2002, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia Correspondence to T. Drglin     

Measurement uncertainty of selenium determination in the reference material Seronorm Trace Elements Serum by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

 An analytical result is not considered to be complete without a statement of the measurement uncertainty associated with it. Evaluation of measurement uncertainty is therefore an essential part of every determination. In the present study the measurement uncertainty of the result of determination of selenium in the reference material Seronorm Trace Elements Serum was studied. The combination of a digestion procedure using sulfuric acid, V₂O₅ in H₂SO₄ and hydrogen peroxide and the continuous flow approach of hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) detection was used for selenium determination. The total uncertainty budget was calculated with the help of the GUM Workbench program, in which computations follow the rules of the ’ISO guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement’. The major sources of uncertainty were found to be due to the recovery of the procedure, measurement of peak heights and the purity of Na₂SeO₃. A selenium mass fraction of 77.1±4.8 ng/g (with a coverage factor of 2.1, 95% probability) was determined, which is comparable with the recommended value of 80 ng/g. Received: 13 September 2002 Accepted: 23 December 2002 Acknowledgements We would like to thank Tinkara Buˇcar, B.Sc. for useful discussions and the IAEA Vienna, for financial support of the project 11553/RO. Presented at CERMM-3, Central European Reference Materials and Measurements Conference: The function of reference materials in the measurement process, May 30–June 1, 2002, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia Correspondence to V. Stibilj     

Development of a Millimeter Wave Compact Equipment for NDT of Materials

We developed a compact equipment working at 94 GHz to replace the commonly used network analyzer for nondestructive testing of materials. The compact equipment was designed to measure the variations in the amplitude and phase of the reflected signal from the material relative to a reference signal. A good accuracy of the amplitude and phase measurement of the equipment was obtained in the confirmative experiments. The distribution of a drop of water in a wood plate is clearly visible in the millimeter wave images obtained by the amplitude and phase measurement.     

Response to high acidity and basicity at a platinum electrode in chronopotentiometry

A simple and rapid method is developed to determine the high acidity and the basicity of solutions by chronopotentiometry with a platinum working electrode. The acidity range from 5.0 mol/l H⁺ to 1.0 mol/l OH⁻ can be measured by the adjustment of deposition potential and time. The response mechanism to acidity and basicity has been explored. The transition potential plateau in chronopotentiograms is caused from the oxidation of hydrogen adsorbed on electrode surface.