The Role of National Measurement Institutes in Subsecond Current-Heating Methods

The historical role of three national measurement institutes (NMIs), namely, the NBS-NIST (USA), the IMGC (Italy), and the NRLM-NMIJ (Japan), in the development of different pulse-heating methods is reviewed. In relation to their institutional iInterests, the indicated NMIs were mainly iInterested in the development and application of new measurement techniques, in the accurate measurement of thermophysical properties at high temperatures, and in the characterization of possible reference materials. An informal iIntercomparison of published experimental results obtained via pulse-heating techniques over 30 years on the electrical resistivity and heat capacity of niobium, molybdenum, and tungsten is preseInted, comparing these results with recommended curves from the literature. Good agreement is found among the pulse-heating results from the indicated NMIs, always within the combined uncertainties.