How to find a suitable reference material

Even in the age of web-based technologies and services, finding a proper reference material can be a demanding task, in particular for newcomers or for new kinds of materials.

The best choice is to use reference material databases that collect data from several RM producers and provide information in a uniform way.

There are some databases that cover a broad scope of RM application fields and collect data from several producers:

COMAR

http://www.comar.bam.de/

COMAR is an RM database maintained cooperatively by national and international institutes and free of charge to the users. COMAR is focused on certified reference materials covering mainly analytical chemistry testing, but also physics and materials testing. About 11 000 reference materials are listed here.

Virtual Institute for Reference Materials (VIRM)

http://www.virm.net/

The 'Virtual Institute for Reference Materials' (VIRM) is operated by the QualityConsult Association. VIRM offers a large-scale RM database covering all kinds of reference materials. Users (and RM producers) have to register and to pay an annual subscription fee.

European Reference Materials (ERM®)

http://www.erm-crm.org/

Three major European reference materials producers (BAM, IRMM, LGC) have established a new trademark (ERM®) for high quality reference materials. European Reference Materials are certified in an uncompromising peer evaluation by the ERM Technical Committee and the ERM Panel applying ISO Guides 34 and 35.

Reference materials total information service of Japan (RMinfo)

http://www.rminfo.nite.go.jp/english/index.html

This site is maintained by NITE and offers a database for Japanese reference materials and links to COMAR and NIST. There are some databases that overarch several producers and are focused on special kinds of materials:

GeoReM

http://georem.mpch-mainz.gwdg.de/

The GeoReM database is hosted by the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Chemistry and is specialized in geological and environmental reference materials.

Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM)

http://www.bipm.org/jctlm/

JCTLM offers a database for higher-order reference materials for laboratory medicine and in vitro diagnostics.

Virtuell Institute for Thermal Metrology (EVITHERM)

http://www.evitherm.org/

The'Virtual Institute for Thermal Metrology' is operated by the evitherm Society and provides a database for thermal properties. The use is free of charge.

Potential RM user should be aware that none of the above-mentioned databases is comprehensive in any way. RM users should consult different databases and websites of known or supposedly relevant producers.

The world's major RM producers maintain websites offering search tools for their reference materials, for example:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

http://ts.nist.gov/measurementservices/referencematerials/index.cfm

Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM)

http://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/html/reference_materials_catalogue/index.htm

LGC Limited (formerly Laboratory of the Government Chemist)

http://www.lgcstandards.com/home/home_en.aspx

LGC Standards is supplier and distributor of reference materials from many producers.

Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM)

http://www.bam.de/en/fachthemen/referenzmaterialien/index.htm

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

http://www.iaea.org/programmes/aqcs/database/database_search_start.htm