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  • The viscosity or in other words the syrupiness of a fluid (liquid or gas) is important in many contexts. Paint must be neither too thick nor too thin; lubricating oil must lubricate properly at the required temperature, otherwise the engine will be seriously damaged; food does not taste good if it is too syrupy or too runny; and face cream must be easily spreadable, but not run straight through your fingers. Viscosity is therefore measured in many different production processes.

    In order to optimise these production processes and to minimise later rejection of products, continuous real-time measurements are being carried out ever more often on the production line. The ever more stringent requirements that are imposed on quality and safety also lead to more complex measurements.

    VSL supplies reference materials and calibrations for viscosity to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, manufacturing companies, (accredited) laboratories and other bodies all over the world.

  • More information?

    Sabine Snijder
    Department Sales & Planning

    Direct contact

    Viscosity plays a central role in the foodstuffs, paint, automotive, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries for quality and process control. Using viscosimeters, samples are investigated and trend analyses are conducted. Reference materials are used to calibrate the viscosimeters. VSL is the only organisation with the NAC ISO 17025 accreditation for viscosity in the Netherlands.

    Calibration of viscosity meters

    In order to be able to conduct a correct measurement and continue to guarantee the quality of products, it is important to calibrate the measurement equipment used regularly. VSL supplies various certified reference materials (CRM) for the calibration of viscosimeters. A calibration with one of these CRMs makes the viscosimeter directly traceable to the highest standards.

    As well as this, it is possible to have the viscosity and density of liquid samples calibrated. 

  • More information?

    Eric Schwiebert
    Department Sales & Planning

    Direct contact

    VSL supplies a wide range of calibrated reference materials (CRMs), whose kinematic and dynamic viscosity for different temperatures can both be stated on the certificate. Also, VSL calibrates reference materials produced by third parties, and produces and calibrates reference liquids on request.

    Mixes of mineral or synthetic oils
    The calibrated reference materials usually consist of mixes of mineral or synthetic oils, and are produced in batches of one to ten litres. The most common CRMs are therefore available from stock (delivery time one week). It is also possible to supply reference materials with specific properties, which are produced and calibrated to order.

    Click here for an overview of the CRMs available.

    Shelf life of reference materials
    The reference materials supplied by VSL are supplied complete with a certificate on which the shelf life is stated. Research has revealed that the liquids remain stable for at least one year (within the internationally-defined uncertainty), providing they are kept closed and are stored in a dark place at a temperature between 10°C and 35°C.

  • To ensure optimum quality of their measurements, laboratories frequently hold in-house quality checks. However, over time deviations in the measurement equipment can occur that cannot be detected by these checks. VSL regularly organises (international) interlaboratory comparisons, through which your laboratory’s measurement results are compared anonymously to those from VSL as primary standards laboratory and those from other participating laboratories.

    In the area of Viscosity, VSL regularly organises interlaboratory comparisons, recently for matters including:

    • Viscosity in the ranges from 20°C to 40°C and from 200-550 mm²/s

     

    Need for a different interlaboratory comparison? 
    Do you require another type of interlaboratory comparison? Then please let us know. We can assess the demand. Possibly there are other laboratories that would like to participate and then we can organise an interlaboratory comparison. It is also possible to organise a bilateral comparison with VSL.

    Click here for more information about interlaboratory comparisons.

  • Would you like to know more about the accurate measurement of viscosity or the composition of reference materials? VSL offers open training courses and bespoke training courses that are adapted to your specific knowledge needs.

    VSL training courses are always presented by specialists in their field of work. Theory is always combined with practice.

    After the course ends, you receive a certificate of participation.

    For a complete overview of the courses planned and in order to register, please click here.

  • Various manufacturers of measurement instruments calibrate these in their own calibration facilities. They do this to check that the newly-produced instruments comply with the requirements, to check stability, or for periodic recalibration. Of course, the purchaser of the measurement instrument must have faith in the facility and so the measurement uncertainty is important.

    Test facility performance
    VSL offers CMC Certification. CMC stands for Calibration and Measurement Capabilities. In this, only the performance of the test facility is considered. You receive a certificate containing the calibration facility’s measurement uncertainty and a manual about traceability. With this certificate, you can demonstrate that the measurement uncertainty has been established by an authoritative and independent national metrology institute (NMI).

    Click here for more information.