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News and Updates

Research on the Rocks: Combining Neutrons and X-Ray Imaging, NIST Scientists Study Meteorites to Explore the Mystery of How Earth Acquired Its Water

November 3, 2022

Each year, hundreds of meteorites — rocky bodies left over from the formation of the solar system — bombard Earth, delivering minerals, metals and water to our

Sneezes, Rain Clouds and Ink Jets: NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

December 20, 2021

Sneezes, rain clouds, and ink jet printers: They all produce or contain liquid droplets so tiny it would take several billion of them to fill a liter bottle

Identifying Individual Molecules: NIST Study Suggests How to Build a Better ‘Nanopore’ Biosensor

April 27, 2021

Researchers have spent more than three decades developing and studying miniature biosensors that can identify single molecules. In five to 10 years, when such

Projects and Programs

Audit of EPA Protocol Gas Suppliers

Ongoing

EPA Protocol gas mixture calibration standards are obtained by users to measure emissions of regulated gaseous species and ensure that they comply with US

NIST PS1 Primary Standard for quantitative NMR (Benzoic Acid)

Ongoing

The "first-of-its-kind" in an entirely new class of reference material, NIST PS1 Primary Standard for quantitative NMR (Benzoic Acid) is now available! The PS

Surface Desorption Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing

Surface desorption ambient mass spectrometry enables direct solid surface interrogation for sampling and ionization of trace analytes. This project encompasses

Magnetic Sector Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing

Magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) generates isotopic and elemental information from solid surfaces with depth profiling capabilities to

Publications

Major to Trace Element Imaging and Analysis of Iron Age Glasses Using Stage Scanning in The Analytical Dual Beam Microscope (Tandem)

June 16, 2022

Author(s)

Edward P. Vicenzi, Thomas Lam, Jamie Weaver, Andrew Herzing, John McCloy, Rolf Sjöblom, Carolyn Pearce

Dark and clear silicate glasses formed during an iron age vitrification event ≈ 1500 years ago at the Broborg hillfort near Uppsala, Sweden have been analyzed

International comparison CCQM-K10.2018: BTEX in nitrogen at 5 nmol mol−1

February 18, 2022

Author(s)

Christina Cecelski, George C. Rhoderick, Antonio Possolo, Jennifer Carney, Miroslav Vokoun, Jitka Privoznikova, Sangil Lee, Ji Hwan Kang, Yong Doo Kim, Dal Ho Kim, Tatiana Mace, Christophe Sutour, Celine Pascale, Napo Ntsasa, James Tshilongo, Mudalo Jozela, Nompumelelo Leshabane, Goitsemang Lekoto, David Worton, Paul Brewer, Fred Farrow-Dunn, Sergi Moreno, Klaus Wirtz, Volker Stummer, L.A. Konopelko, A.V. Kolobova, Y.A. Kustikov, A.Y. Klimov, O.V. Efremova, Janneke van Wijk, Adriaan van der Veen

The CCQM-K10.2018 comparison aimed to evaluate the capabilities of national metrology institutes (NMIs) to prepare and/or value assign primary reference

Certification of NIST Gas Mixture Standard Reference Materials

February 10, 2022

Author(s)

Christina Cecelski, Kimberly Harris, Cassie Goodman, William A. Kimes, Philip Liu, Walter R. Miller Jr., Jennifer Carney

The Gas Sensing Metrology Group at NIST provides accurate, stable gaseous standards for use in various types of emissions testing and environmental monitoring

New reference materials for trace-levels of actinide elements in plutonium

January 27, 2022

Author(s)

Richard Essex, Lav Tandon, Amy Gaffney, Cole Hexel, Debbie Bostick, Lisa Colletti, Diana Decker, Casey Finstad, Joseph Giaquinito, Elmer Lujan, John Partridge, Benjamin Roach, John Rolinson, Kyle Samperton, Alice Slemmons, Khalil Spencer, Floyd Stanley, Lisa Townsend, Kerri Treinen, Ross Williams, Christopher Worley

Two plutonium oxides were prepared as unique reference materials for actinides occurring as trace constituents in Pu. Each reference material unit is

Tools and Instruments

Local Electrode Atom Probe Tomography (LEAP)

Field evaporates (with a voltage and laser pulse) a sharp tip-shaped specimen. Collects the ionization products in a position-sensitive, time-of-flight mass

Material Analysis Using Neutron Depth Profiling

Light elements such as helium, lithium, boron, and nitrogen are essential constituents in materials that enable energy technologies; lithium ion batteries