MSL Technical Guide 2 Infrared Thermometry Ice Point: Introduction and Scope

MSL Technical Guide 2
Infrared Thermometry
Ice Point
Introduction and Scope

In recent years, radiation thermometers have be-
come widely used in processing, plant maintenance, and
food industries. Their ability to measure temperature r
without contact has obvious advantages where process

materials are moving, or where contamination must be
avoided. Like all measuring instruments, radiation ther-
mometers are prone to errors arising from drift with age R
and accumulated damage. Where measurements are
required to satisfy health and safety regulations, such Figure 1. A simple representation of a blackbody cavity. The
errors can have serious health and safety or economic greater the ratio of the cavity size, R, to the aperture, r, the
consequences. This technical guide describes how to greater the emissivity of the cavity.
make a 0 °C temperature reference using ice, and en -
sure that your radiation thermometer is operating cor-
rectly. We can improve the emissivity of objects by making
An ice-point check is a simple and effective method so-called blackbody cavities, as shown in Figure 1. The
to check the operation of any thermometer designed to principle is to make sure any radiation entering the cavity
work near 0 °C. It should be carried out regularly and is absorbed; then, since there are no reflections, the
readings recorded – a sudden change or persistent drift emissivity of the cavity must be 1.0. The ideal blackbody
in the ice-point reading is often the first indication of a cavity is a perfect emitter and absorber of radiation.
fault in the instrument.
The Ice Point
Emissivity and Blackbodies Figure 2 shows the phase diagram for water; this il-
All objects emit infrared radiation characterised by in- lustrates the different temperatures and pressures where
tensity and wavelength, which are both temperature de- water exists as ice, water, or water vapour. Remarkably,
pendent. Most handheld low-temperature radiation ther- the melting point of water (the boundary between the
mometers operate over a single band, typically near solid and liquid phases) is very near 0 °C for all normal
4 µm, or in the range 8–14 µm. The temperature of an atmospheric pressures.
object is found by measuring the intensity of the radia- In fact, for the normal range of atmospheric pres-
tion emitted by the object over this wavelength band. sures, the melting point of pure ice is very near
The ability of objects to emit and absorb infrared ra- 0.0025 °C. An additional ‘error’ caused by dissolve d gas
diation is described by a property called emissivity, and in the water and ice causes the melting point to be very
many radiation thermometers have an adjustment to near 0 °C. Historically, the ice point was the defi ning
compensate for the emissivity of the surface. Values of point for many temperature scales until the more precise
emissivity range from zero for poorly emitting surfaces, triple-point cells (0.01 °C) were developed. Howeve r, the
approaching 1.0 for objects that are good emitters of ra-
diation.
Emissivity and reflectivity are complementary proper- 100
ties. Surfaces with a low emissivity are good reflectors of LIQUID
10
radiation, and vice versa. For opaque objects (non- Critical point
(373.99 °C)
transparent), the emissivity plus the reflectivity equals 1 SOLID Normal melting point
1.0. An object with an emissivity of 0.9 has a reflectivity (0.0025 °C)
of 0.1, and therefore reflects 0.1 (10%) of all of the radia- 0.1
Normal boiling point
tion that falls on the surface. 0.01
(99.974 °C)
A good temperature reference for radiation ther-

mometers requires a surface with a high emissivity (low 0.001
reflectivity) maintained at a controlled temperature. Melt- Triple point
VAPOUR
0.0001 (0.01 °C)
ing ice has both properties.
While ice is transparent at visible wavelengths, at in- 0.00001
frared wavelengths longer than about 2 µm, both ice and 200 300 400 500 600 700
water become increasingly opaque. At these wave- Temperature / K
lengths water also has an emissivity of about 0.96. In
Figure 2. The phase diagram for pure water showing the differ-
other words, if we could see in the infrared, ice would ent temperatures and pressures at which water exists as liquid,
appear black. solid (ice), and vapour.
Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand • fax: +64 (0)4 931 3003 • e-mail: msl@irl.cri.nz • website: http://msl.irl.cri.nz 1
ice point still has a major role in thermometry since it is a
fixed point that can be readily achieved by any labora-
L
MS
tory for minimal outlay of resources. So long as the basic
principles described here are followed, it is relatively
straightforward to realise a 0 °C reference tempera ture Infrared
with an accuracy of ±0.1 °C. or better. thermometer
Siphon
tube
The Equipment
To assemble an ice point for radiation thermometers
you will need: Insulated or
An insulating container, such as a vacuum- vacuum flask
insulated, expanded polystyrene or yoghurt-making flask
d > 5f
of approximately 120 mm to 140 mm in diameter. It
should be deep enough so that you can form a hole in
the ice with a depth about five times the field of view di-
ameter of the infrared thermometer (see Figure 3). There
should be 50 mm to 100 mm extra depth to accumulate Crushed ice
melt-water.
A siphon tube (see Figure 3) is placed in the flask
to enable the removal of excess water, which should be f Field of view, f
kept to a minimum, as the ice melts. You need to make
sure that the water level does not rise above the bottom Beaker
of the cavity, otherwise the bottom of the cavity may rise
Water
above 0 °C.
Clean, shaved ice that is free of impurities, and ide-
ally made from distilled or de-ionised water. Because Figure 3. An ice-point blackbody cavity.
freezing is also a purification process, food-grade ice
made in freezers that employ a washing process is also
satisfactory. Good, clean tap water is often satisfactory the thermometer. The walls of the ice cavity should be
but should be avoided as it will occasionally be contami- rough so that the radiation is scattered randomly inside
nated or have a high concentration of additives from the the cavity to ensure uniformity.
water treatment process. Read the thermometer several times at intervals of a
The ice must be shaved or crushed, ideally into few minutes to be sure that the walls of the flask have
small chips using a commercial ice shaver. A low-cost reached equilibrium with the ice. Note that for radiation
alternative, which is satisfactory for infrequent use, is a thermometers whose emissivity is less than 1.00 (e.g.,
food processor with a grating disc. Note that discs with many thermometers have a fixed emissivity setting of
blades or knives are not suitable because they do not 0.95), the reading when measuring the ice point is not
cut ice very effectively and the processor will be quickly expected to be 0.0 °C, but rather somewhat less. Se e
damaged. MSL Technical Guide 22: “Calibration of Low-
Approximately 300 mL of clean cold water is re- Temperature Infrared Thermometers” for a discussion on
quired. Distilled water or de-ionised water is ideal, as is this, and methods and graphs for determining the ex-
the melt water from the ice. pected reading for a given emissivity value.
The Procedure References

First, one-third fill the flask with clean water. Freshly J V Nicholas and D R White, Traceable Temperatures
shaved ice is quite often colder than 0 °C; wetting the Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 2001.
ice, however, ensures that it is melting. The difference in
the condition of the ice is readily visible since cold ice MSL Technical Guide 1: “The Ice Point”,
freezes water vapour from the atmosphere giving it a http://msl.irl.cri.nz.
white frosty appearance. Wet ice has a clear translucent MSL Technical Guide 22: “Calibration of Low-
appearance. Temperature Infrared Thermometers”, http://msl.irl.cri.nz.
Siphon off the excess water and compress the ice to
form a tightly packed slush. Then carve or press a cavity
into the remaining ice, ensuring that the bottom of the ice Prepared by M Bart, P Saunders and D R White, May
cavity is sufficiently wide to fill the entire field of view of 2004.
MSL is New Zealand’s national metrology institute, operating within Industrial Research Limited under the authority of the
New Zealand Measurement Standards Act 1992.
Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand • fax: +64 (0)4 931 3003 • e-mail: msl@irl.cri.nz • website: http://msl.irl.cri.nz 2

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MSL Technical Guide 2

Introduction and Scope

without contact has obvious advantages where process

A good temperature reference for radiation ther-

The Procedure References

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