ICTAC/TAI Curie Temperature Reference Materials

TA Instruments has secured an agreement with the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC) to obtain the exclusive worldwide rights to distribute a set of six (6) certified and traceable Curie temperature materials for calibration of TGA apparatus. These materials are now fully documented for sale and available for shipment. The reference materials are solids (powders and films) and are sold in 1g quantities consisting of ALUMEL , nickel, cobalt, and three cobalt / nickel alloys. The descriptions, part number and prices (in US$) are shown below.

• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952500.901 $580
  152 ºC, ICTAC Certified
• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952504.901 $580
  357 ºC, ICTAC Certified
• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952508.901 $580
  554 ºC, ICTAC Certified
• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952512.901 $580
  746 ºC, ICTAC Certified
• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952516.901 $580
  931 ºC, ICTAC Certified
• Magnetic Reference Material, PN 952520.901 $580
  1116 ºC, ICTAC Certified

All six materials are also available in a kit as follows:

• TGA / SDT ICTAC PN 952541.901 $1,600
  Curie Temperature Kit

The six individual materials listed above serve as replacement materials for those in the kit. They permit a temperature calibration at ~200 ºC intervals over the range 150 to 1120 ºC meeting the needs of most TGA customers.

The use of Curie temperature reference materials is the accepted way to calibrate TGA instruments using ASTM International standard test method E1582. The well-known change in magnetic behavior at a defined temperature results in a sharp apparent weight changes at the end of the transition under an imposed magnetic field.

Curie temperature reference materials are available from a number of sources. The ICTAC/TAI materials are the only available materials certified by interlaboratory testing and traceable to a national metrology laboratory.

In the development of these materials, ICTAC's goal was to produce a material set and offer them for sale through NIST or other government standards laboratory. They commissioned Prof. Gallagher (formerly of Ohio State University now Clemson University) to develop six Curie temperature reference materials with certified values. However, by the time the materials were produced, NIST no longer wished to be the distributor for such materials. TA Instruments' agreement with ICTAC to acquire the entire consignment of these materials provides for their availability to the thermal analysis community.