The Pressure & Vacuum Group develops and maintains primary standards for pressure, vacuum, and small gas flow and disseminates the measurement capability of these standards to U.S. industry.

Pressure & Vacuum Group

To accomplish the Group's mission we provide calibration services and maintain international comparability in pressure, vacuum, and low gas-flow. To advance the underlying science and engineering, we also:

  • Develop measurement techniques to meet U.S. industry requirements.
  • Perform benchmark measurements of material properties.
  • Investigate industrially important phenomena that require state-of-the-art pressure, vacuum, and low flow measurements.
  • Collaborate with industry and academia in developing new instrumentation for improved industrial process control or for use in critical scientific measurements.


Calibration services

Our calibrations of pressure gauges and transducers range from high vacuum (10-7 Pa or 10-9 torr) to high pressure (280 MPa or 40,000 psi). Our gas flow calibrations range from the low end of vacuum leaks (10-13 mol/s) to flow rates typical of thermal mass flow controllers (10-3 mol/s). For larger flows, contact the Fluid Metrology Group, which calibrates flow meters from 0.01 mol/s to 6x107 mol/s.

Our facilities include multiple standards that allow us to cover these broad spans of pressure and flow. In addition to our usual calibrations, we can perform "Special Tests", in which the measurements are tailored to the customer�s particular needs.

How to arrange a calibration

First, contact the staff member in charge of the calibration service for your instrument. (See the calibration service summary.) Most calibrations are conducted in batches one or more times per year, and the contact will tell you the next available calibration date and answer your other questions. Next, send a purchase order to the contact by email, fax, or mail. Please include:

  • service ID for the calibration
  • model and serial number of your instrument
  • customer contact name, address, phone, and email
  • return shipping method (e.g. FedEx account number)

Finally, ship your instrument so that it arrives by the scheduled date. Use a sturdy box in which we can return the calibrated instrument.

Recent research

High-stability transfer standard for the barometric pressure range of 100 Pa to 130 kPa

Progress toward realizing pressure with dimensionally-characterized piston gauges

Accurate flow meter and viscometer for gases

Fluid properties workshop at Semicon West 2006