The article presents the development of reference materials of gas permeability of rocks (imitators) with traceability to Get 210–2019: State Primary Standard of Units of Specific Adsorption of Gases, Specific Surface Area of Pores, Specific Volume of Pores, Dimension of Pores, Open Porosity, and Coefficient of Gas Permeability of Solid Substances and Fabricated Materials. At the time of the beginning of this study, in the system of metrological assurance of gas permeability coefficient measurements, there were only reference materials of an approved type with traceability to the measurement results obtained in an interlaboratory experiment using gas permeability analyzers that were calibrated using the same reference materials, and reference materials with traceability to the State Primary Standard were absent. As a result, in the metrological practice of gas permeability measurement, there was no stable basis for comparison. This fact prompted the authors to research work in this area. The article considers the key stages of the process of reference materials development: analysis of similar reference materials of an approved type, selection of the starting material for reference materials, performing experimental research, and determining, on the basis of this research, the metrological characteristics of reference materials. Ceramic cylinders based on aluminum oxide were used as the starting material for reference materials; the method to measure the gas permeability coefficient is based on the method of stationary filtration. Measurements of the gas permeability coefficient were carried out on samples with different gas permeability using nitrogen and helium gases. Based on the results of these measurements, for each sample, the gas permeability coefficients were calculated at the given reverse pore pressure and the absolute gas permeability coefficient. As a result of the study, a set of reference materials of gas permeability of rocks (imitators) GSO 11546–2020 /GSO 11550–2020 was approved, the range of certified values is (0.1 10^–3 – 5) μm² , and the expanded uncertainty of certified values Uo (k = 2, P = 0.95), is 3 %. The authors believe that the GSO 11546–2020 / GSO 11550–2020 dataset will ensure metrological traceability and reliability of gas permeability coefficient measurements. As a result, it will bring practical relevance to a petrophysical research laboratory.

The paper describes research on metrological assurance of such measuring instruments as gas calorimeters and Wobbe index analysers. The purpose of the performed research is development of reference materials for gases with certified value of net volume-basis calorific value traceable to Russian state primary standard. Input set of candidate gases is hydrogen, methane, ethane and propane, as well as the target uncertainty of lower volumetric combustion energy value equal to 0,3 % – both were selected basing on results of metrological characteristics analysis of calorimetric equipment. The certified value of lower volumetric combustion energy is traceable to the State Primary Standard of combustion energy, specific combustion energy and volumetric combustion energy units GET 16. The certified value of selected gases and the uncertainty of this value were estimated with usage of comparing calorimeters for the combustion of high- and low-calorie gases «USVG» and «USNG» included in GET 16. Results obtained during investigational study and reference materials characterisation confirmed the stated accuracy. The continuance in prospect may allow development of reference materials for gas imitating mixtures of natural and casing-head gases as well as include Wobbe index in the list of certified characteristics.

The population needs reliable information on the chemical composition of plants and products made from them in order to preserve the environment and its safety. With the increase in cross-border trade, there is a growing demand for traceable results of determining the content of chemical elements in plants and not only proteins, fats, carbohydrates, pesticides, moisture, vitamins, etc., which can affect the quality of human life. An urgent but difficult analytical task is to obtain reliable measurements of the elemental composition of agricultural and wild plants and various products made from them. Reference materials (RMs) are a widely recognized tool for ensuring the uniformity of chemical measurements. They are designed for certification (validation) of existing and new methods (techniques) of chemical analysis, certification studies in the development of reference materials, and professional testing of laboratories. The article lists the reputable manufacturers of plant RMs in which the content of chemical elements is certified. The ratio of certified, reference, and quality control samples of plant-matrix has been assessed. The classification of certified reference materials according to the type of plant material used for their food application is provided. The contribution of different countries to the development of plant CRMs is hown. The selection of plants for the development of new RMs is discussed from two points of view, namely food composition databases (AOAC INTERNATIONAL) and the ‘Reference Plant’ chemical fingerprinting (B. Markert). Based on the consolidation of studies devoted to the development and appliance of plant-matrix reference materials, a list of the most important requirements has been compiled for reference materials that ensure the reliability and comparability of the results of chemical analysis in the fields of biology, geochemistry, ecology, agriculture, medicine, and interdisciplinary research.

Determination of the calibration dependence of spectrometers’ output signal on the content of the measured elements is of great importance for the metrological assurance of the high-precision inductively coupled plasma (ICP) massspectrometry and optical emission spectrometry methods. This paper presents the results of a study on establishing the certified values of reference material of composition of multi-element solution of metals intended for inductively coupled plasma methods (ICP-CRM solution Multi 1). The reference material (RM) is a solution with certified values of the mass fraction of metals: barium, cadmium, cobalt, lithium, lead, and zinc. The solution was packed in high-density polyethylene bottles with the capacity of 4, 8, 15, 30, 60 and 125 cm³ . The certified value of the mass fraction of metals in the solution was established by the calculation and experimental procedure and confirmed by the GET 217-2018 State Primary Standard of Unit of Mass Fraction and Unit of Mass (Molar) Concentration of Inorganic Components in Aqueous Solutions Based on Gravimetric and Spectral Methods. The permissible certified values of the mass fraction of metals in the developed ICP-CRM are shown to range from 900 mg/kg to 1100 mg/kg. The authors have embarked on the study of the reference material by testing RMs for long-term stability and determination of the RMs’ expiration date. It is assumed that the expanded uncertainty of measurements of the certified value of the mass fraction of metals in the solution of the multi-element ICP-CRM solution Multi 1 will not exceed 0.5 %. The ICP-CRM solution Multi 1 can be used for ensuring the metrological traceability of measurements in inorganic analysis using ICP-MS and ICP-OES to the GET 217-2018. The developed solution will also allow one of the main advantages of these methods to be applied in routine analysis, namely the ability to quickly and simultaneously measure several elements in samples.

The article discusses the calibration results of reference standards-copies according to the State Primary Standard of the Mass Unit using the new CCL 1007 vacuum comparator and buoyancy artifacts. The authors provided historical data on the calibrations of copies of the International Prototype of the Kilogram (IPK) starting from 1892, including the Russian prototype № 12. The instability of the prototype of the kilogram No. 12 corresponds to international values and is assessed at 5 · 10^–11 kg per year. Changes in the mass of copies are assessed in relation to the mass of the IPK, but it is impossible to determine to what extent it has changed. This was the reason for the adoption of a new value of the kilogram. Following the adoption at the 26th meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) held in Paris in November 2018, Planck constant was numerically established with absolute accuracy, and total uncer tainty of 1 · 10^–8 kg was assigned to the mass of the IPK. Thus, the authors set the aim to preserve the numerical value of the total uncertainty of the reference standards-copies by reducing the transfer error of the State Primary Standard by 10 times. The article presents the calibration results of six reference standards-copies in relation to prototype No. 12 with the primary data processing using the method of least squares, and the uncertainty budget is provided. The calibration results of the reference standards-copies confirmed the accuracy increase of the transfer unit by 10 times in the range from 6 · 10^–9 kg to 6 · 10^–10 kg by the use of a vacuum comparator graduated 0.1 μg and buoyancy and sorption artifacts in direct measurements of air density. This has made it possible to compensate for the additional uncertainty attributed to the IPK based on the determination of the Planck constant value and to ensure the mass calibration of all accuracy grades preserving the entire hierarchical system of transferring the mass unit in the country.

This article discusses the application of professional standards in the formation of students’ competencies in metrology. The analysis of normative documents describing the work of metrology specialists has been carried out. A number of problems that arise during the development of federal state educational standards and basic professional education programs based on professional standards are identified. The possibility of metrology separation from the field of «Cross-cutting types of professional activity in the industry» into a separate and independent area is considered. The construction structure of professional standards’ system is proposed. It includes a policy framework, where the necessary ways to get an appropriate level of qualification, the extent of competence and responsibility, and professional standards for metrologists working in various fields of economic activity and the entire field of metrology are enshrined.