Reference material (RM)

           Material, sufficiently homogeneous and stable with respect to one or more specified properties, which has been established to be fit for its intended use in a measurement process

           Certified reference material (CRM)

           Reference material characterized by a metrologically valid procedure for one or more specified properties, accompanied by an RM certificate that provides the value of the specified property, its associated uncertainty, and a statement of metrological traceability

          The following ISO standards are currently used in the development of reference materials:

          ISO Guide 30:2015  Reference materials - Selected terms and definitions 

          ISO 33401:2024 Reference materials - Contents of certificates, labels and accompanying documentation

          ISO 33403:2024 Reference materials - Requirements and recommendations for use

          ISO 33405:2024 Reference materials - Approaches for characterization and assessment of homogeneity and stability

          ISO 17034:2016 General requirements for the competence of reference material producers  

          Reference materials for wet chemical analysis in order to obtain of homogeneous material, as a rule, made of deep-deformed metal: sheet metal, wire and rods of small diameter.
          To eliminate the negative impact of segregation RMs of ferroalloys is manufactured by spraying melts.
          Sample material for spectral analysis is melted in a vacuum induction furnace followed deep forging of ingots, or it is selected from industrial hot-rolled bars.

          For high-alloy tool steels, reference materials are made from deeply deformed metal produced via powder metallurgy. This approach eliminates the influence of carbide segregation and radial heterogeneity of the sample on the analysis results.     

          Combustion and Fusion RMs  is produced in the form of either a fully prepared for the analysis of the pins and balls of stable mass with a protective coating, either in the form of rods of small diameter for easy cutting the samples by scissors for cutting the wire. 

          All analytical laboratories of Ukrainian enterprises which participate in the analyzes for certification are accredited in the Industrial System of Quality assurance in accordance with the principles of ISO / IEC 17025 - General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

          When certifying CRM usually 10-15 laboratories participate, and when certifying RM at least 5-10 laboratories of the following companies participate: