Open AccessCalibration of optical particle counters: first comprehensive inter-comparison for particle sizes up to 5 µm and number concentrations up to 2 cm−3
Author(s) -
Konstantina Vasilatou,
Kai Dirscherl,
Kenjiro Iida,
Hiromu Sakurai,
Stefan Horender,
Kevin Auderset
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
metrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.637
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1681-7575
pISSN - 0026-1394
DOI - 10.1088/1681-7575/ab5c84
Subject(s) - calibration , metrology , particle (ecology) , particle counter , traceability , particle number , range (aeronautics) , primary standard , materials science , particle size , physics , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , nuclear engineering , nuclear physics , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , engineering , aerosol , chromatography , oceanography , plasma , quantum mechanics , meteorology , composite material , geology
We report on an inter-laboratory comparison for the calibration of light-scattering optical particle counters measuring the number concentration of airborne particles in the size range 300 nm–5 µm. This comparison, registered as EURAMET pilot study Nr. 1453, is an important first step towards internationally recognized SI traceability in the measurement of low particle number concentrations encountered in clean-room facilities. The participating particle metrology laboratories of NMIJ (Japan), DFM (Denmark) and METAS (Switzerland) each provided a portable optical particle counter as a transfer standard to be circulated amongst the partners. The comparison covered particle number concentrations up to about 2 cm −3 . The individual measurements for the transfer standards at each laboratory are in good agreement with the reference value, typically within 7%, which supports the applied national primary methods of measurement.