Survey & strategic planning in the field of measurement of moisture in materials
Project Description
Measurements of moisture content in materials are of wide-ranging importance in areas such as food, pharmaceuticals, fuels, and construction materials. There are many ways in which better moisture measurements can contribute to energy efficiency, and improved manufacturing. The iMERA Roadmap for Humidity and Moisture identifies needs for advances in techniques for moisture measurement, and for traceability infrastructure to underpin these.
Moisture measurement is a challenging field. Measurement methods are diverse. The provision and uptake of measurement traceability is variable. Standards and traceability are slightly more established for "chemical" methods of measurement than for "physical" methods.
This project aims to support cooperation between European NMIs on existing work in the moisture field, and to identify new directions for future development, including some or all of:
- Reviewing existing moisture measurement research and standards at participating institutes and other NMIs
- Reviewing moisture measurement needs generally across Europe
- Developing a view of the metrology infrastructure required in Europe for moisture measurements
- Identifying opportunities for information exchange, cooperative working, or secondments between institutes
- Considering how participant expertise might be combined to formulate an EMRP proposal on moisture measurement relevant to the theme of energy, or other calls, if appropriate.
Final Report 2015-03-09
This project has aimed to support cooperation between European NMIs on existing work in the moisture field, and to identify directions for future development, specifically:
- Reviewing existing moisture measurement research and standards at participating institutes and other NMIs
- Reviewing moisture measurement needs generally across Europe
- Developing a view of the metrology infrastructure required in Europe for moisture measurements
- Identifying opportunities for information exchange, cooperative working, or secondments between institutes
- Considering how participant expertise might be combined to formulate an EMRP proposal on moisture measurement relevant to the theme of energy, or other calls, if appropriate.
A survey of NMI capabilites and related industrial needs was carried out in 2008 to 2010 (and slightly updated after that), giving a valuable snapshot of the state of the art of moisture metrology.
Following a strategic planning workshop in 2012, a successful project in the EMRP Metrology for Broader SI call in 2012 began in June 2013 - "METefnet - Metrology for moisture in materials".
The work of this EURAMET project has been presented at TEMPMEKO 2013 and accepted for publication in Int J Thermophys (2015).
On conclusion of this project it can be said that the gernal objectives have been met, resulting in a funded EMRP JRP which probably would not have succeeded without the foundation within this EURAMET project.