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Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics research at NIST helps our industrial and scientific partners develop more efficient and reliable processes by improving our understanding of how the arrangement of matter and energy impact the properties of physical and chemical systems.

Thermodymic Data Included in Phase-Based Data Repository

MGI-Logo

An essential part of the MGI is the development of phase-based data repository. Phase-based data are important for many applications, including the development of CALPHAD-based multicomponent databases. The phase-based data include zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional data. Examples of some of the phase-data included are phase transformation temperatures (e.g. melting, solidus, solvus), lattice parameters, thermal expansion, elastic constants, and diffusion coefficients and compositions profiles. These data are reported as functions of composition, temperature and/or pressure.

This repository consists of three data sources:

  • Curated experimental and computational multicomponent alloy data in support of the development Co-based superalloys. Currently the data are focus on diffusion data and transition temperatures. These data are curated using the NIST Materials Data Curation System. This collection is being developed in conjunction with CHiMaD.
  • Thermodynamic Research Center Data provides access to thermophysical property data with a focus on unary, binary, and ternary metal systems through a free online web application and associated API. All data are from original experimental publications and include full provenance and critically evaluated uncertainty.
  • Self diffusion and impurity diffusion coefficient data (experimental and computational) are searchable via the periodic table.

News and Updates

Projects and Programs

Platform for Realizing Integrated Molecule Experiments (PRIME)

Ongoing
Blackbodies realize a clear relationship between radiated power and temperature through Planck’s law. While a reliable instrument for temperature and power calibrations, blackbodies are afflicted with a plethora of systematics (e.g., non-ideal emissivity, propagation loss, temperature gradients

Reliable Vaccine Storage

Completed
Our group examines best practices for the storage and monitoring of vaccines in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Supply and Assurance Branch. Vaccines are highly temperature sensitive, and inappropriate storage conditions can render them ineffective

The NIST Chemistry Webbook

Ongoing
Intended Impact It is part of NIST's mission to distribute Standard Reference Data to scientists, engineers, educators, and the general public. The NIST Chemistry WebBook is intended to help fulfill NIST's mission by distributing such data over the Internet. Objective Develop a web site

Renewable Energy and Fuels

Ongoing
Fuel volatility and chemical characterization. We specialize in the Advanced Distillation Curve (ADC) method , developed at NIST, which is a powerful tool for the measurement of distillation curves to characterize complex fluids. We have applied this to simple hydrocarbons, gasolines, diesel fuels

Publications

Tools and Instruments

Leak Artifacts

Leak artifacts are calibrated in the range 1 x 10 -6 to 1 x 10 -13 mol/s (2 x 10 -2 to 2 x 10 -9 std. cm 3/s at 0 °C). The calibration can be performed directly

Vacuum Gauges

Most calibrations of vacuum gauges are based on a known gas flow rate that is generated by one of two flow meters that operate at constant pressure. The "piston

Low Pressure Gauges

NIST has developed best-in-the-world primary standard pressure measurement capabilities for pressures spanning the range of 0.01 Pa to 360 kPa through the

Piston gauges and pressure transducers

Piston gauges are used to calibrate customer piston gauges and pressure sensing devices. Piston gauges are calibrated via a direct comparison to another piston

Awards