Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Mercury Thermometer Alternatives: Sample Applications

Yellowback thermometer
The traditional "yellowback" thermometer of the sort shown here is lowered into petroleum tanks at various depths, and the readings are recorded by hand.

Many processes and procedures can benefit from alternatives to mercury thermometers. For example, petroleum companies and storage facilities need to know the temperature of material in tanks and at various stages of refinement. One traditional method of taking tank measurements employs an Hg thermometer (often called a "yellowback") of the sort shown at right.

Several initiatives are now underway to replace mercury instruments in the petroleum industry, and the Environmental Protection Agency has undertaken a pilot project with the American Petroleum Institute to test non-mercury thermometers in fuel-handling facilities and to examine the accuracy, durability, and temperature range of mercury-free thermometers in the field. (See Fig. 2.)

 

Technician Dawn Cross of NIST's Temperature and Humidity Group demonstrates platinum resistance thermometer approved for the petroleum industrys. At right: A petroleum industry worker deploys the same kind of device in a storage tank.

Left: Technician Dawn Cross of NIST's Temperature and Humidity Group (THG) demonstrates a platinum resistance thermometer approved for the petroleum industry. Right: A petroleum industry worker deploys the same kind of device in a storage tank.

Physicist Michael Chojnacky checks a small digital unit in a test refrigerator.

Non-mercury sensors and electronic recording devices were employed in a landmark evaluation of vaccine refrigeration equipment and storage practices. Above, THG physicist Michal Chojnacky checks a small digital unit in a test refrigerator.

In addition, numerous activities in commerce, industry and government can benefit from digital systems' ability to record data from multiple sensors over time. Recently NIST's Temperature and Humidity Group used an array of thermometers to identify types of refrigeration equipment and storage practices that contribute to the annual waste of tens of millions of dollars in vaccines that must be discarded because they have not been stored within the proper temperature range. (See Fig. 3.)


Any mention or image of commercial products within NIST web pages is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by NIST.

Contacts

Created April 15, 2016, Updated December 10, 2019