About NIST SRMs

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The SRM/RM Identification System

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Definitions

Certified Reference Material (CRM) - Reference material, accompanied by a certificate, one or more of whose property values are certified by a procedure which establishes traceability to an accurate realization of the unit in which the property values are expressed, and for which each certified value is accompanied by an uncertainty at a stated level of confidence. (ISO International Vocabulary of Basic and General Terms in Metrology (VIM): 1993)

Reference Material (RM) - Material or substance one or more of whose property values are sufficiently homogeneous and well established to be used for the calibration of an apparatus, the assessment of a measurement method, or for assigning values to materials. (ISO VIM: 1993)

Reference Material Certificate - Document accompanying a certified reference material stating one or more property values and their uncertainties, and confirming that the necessary procedures have been carried out to ensure their validity and traceability. (ISO Guide 30: 1992)

NIST Standard Reference Material® (SRM) - A CRM issued by NIST that also meets additional NIST-specific certification criteria and is issued with a certificate or certificate of analysis that reports the results of its characterizations and provides information regarding the appropriate use(s) of the material (NIST SP 260-136). Note: An SRM is prepared and used for three main purposes: (1) to help develop accurate methods of analysis; (2) to calibrate measurement systems used to facilitate exchange of goods, institute quality control, determine performance characteristics, or measure a property at the state-of-the-art limit; and (3) to ensure the long-term adequacy and integrity of measurement quality assurance programs. The terms "Standard Reference Material" and the diamond-shaped logo which contains the term "SRM," are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

NIST Reference Material - Material issued by NIST with a report of investigation instead of a certificate to: (1) further scientific or technical research; (2) determine the efficacy of a prototype reference material; (3) provide a homogeneous and stable material so that investigators in different laboratories can be ensured that they are investigating the same material; and (4) ensure availability when a material produced and certified by an organization other than NIST is defined to be in the public interest or when an alternate means of national distribution does not exist. A NIST RM meets the ISO definition for a RM and may meet the ISO definition for a CRM (depending on the organization that produced it).

NIST Traceable Reference Material^TM(NTRM^TM) - A commercially-produced reference material with a well-defined traceability linkage to existing NIST standards for chemical measurements. This traceability linkage is established via criteria and protocols defined by NIST to meet the needs of the metrological community to be served (NIST SP 260-136). Reference materials producers adhering to these requirements are allowed use of the NTRM trademark. A NIST NTRM may be recognized by a regulatory authority as being equivalent to a CRM .

NIST Certified Value - A value reported on an SRM certificate or certificate of analysis for which NIST has the highest confidence in its accuracy in that all known or suspected sources of bias have been fully investigated or accounted for by NIST. (NIST SP 260-136)

NIST Reference Value - A best estimate of the true value provided on a NIST certificate, certificate of analysis, or report of investigation where all known or suspected sources of bias have not been fully investigated by NIST. (NIST SP 260-136)

NIST SRM Certificate or Certificate of Analysis - In accordance with ISO Guide 31: 2000, a NIST SRM certificate is a document containing the name, description, and intended purpose of the material, the logo of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the name of NIST as a certifying body, instructions for proper use and storage of the material, certified property value(s) with associated uncertainty(ies), method(s) used to obtain property values, the period of validity, if appropriate, and any other technical information deemed necessary for its proper use. A Certificate is issued for an SRM certified for one or more specific physical or engineering performance properties and may contain NIST reference, information, or both values in addition to certified values. A Certificate of Analysis is issued for an SRM certified for one or more specific chemical properties. Note: ISO Guide 31 is updated periodically; check with ISO for the latest version.

NIST Certificate of Traceability - Document stating the purpose, protocols, and measurement pathways that support claims by an NTRM to specific NIST standards or stated references. No NIST certified values are provided, but rather the document references a specific NIST report of analysis, bears the logo of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the name of NIST as a certifying body, and the name and title of the NIST officer authorized to accept responsibility for its contents.

NIST RM Report of Investigation - Document issued with a NIST RM that contains all the technical information necessary for proper use of the material, the logo of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the name and title of the NIST officer authorized to issue it. There are no NIST certified values provided, and authorship of a report's contents may be by an organization other than NIST.

NIST Report of Analysis (ROA) - Document containing the certification of the material and including such information as the base material used, how the SRM was manufactured, the certification method(s) and description of procedures, outside collaborators, instructions for use, special instructions for packaging, handling, and storage, and plan for stability testing. The ROA is intended for internal NIST use only

Status - SRM/RMs can have one the following status values:

Table Icons - All subsection tables have direct links to the specific SRM/RM certificate pages and detail information. The icons and their definitions appear below:

- View Detail	View SRM/RM Detail Page
- View Certificate	View SRM Certificate
- View MSDS	View SRM/RM MSDS
- View Table	View Subsection Table Data
- View Report of Investigation	View RM Certificate
- View Reference Links	View Reference Links

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