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Liquid Absorbance Standards
R W Burke1, E R Deardorff1, O Menis1
1Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234.
Abstract:
Errors in the measurement of the absorbances of liquid filters result from instrumental and chemical uncertainties. This paper presents a systematic study of these variables on the absorbances of selected filters. Three types of liquid filters are discussed. These are (1) individual solutions of high purity compounds, (2) composite mixtures and (3) aqueous solutions of organic dyes. The accuracy of the absorptivity data is established using NBS-calibrated glass filters. The magnitude of the errors arising from spectral bandpass, beam geometry, stray light, internal multiple reflections, and refractive index are delineated. Finally, as a practical outgrowth of this study, the development and issuance of NBS Standard Reference Material 931, Liquid Absorbance Standards for Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrophotometry, is described.
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