K74 Reference & Kibble Balance
Accurate mass measurement is the backbone of countless industries, from scientific research and pharmaceuticals to manufacturing and trade. At the heart of this precision lies Canada’s national metrology infrastructure, maintained by the National Research Council (NRC). This ensures that every gram measured across the country is traceable to internationally recognized standards. Through a combination of tools like the K74 reference weight and Kibble Balance, Canada safeguards the accuracy, consistency, and global alignment of its mass measurements. This system ensures that companies like Covariance can rely on their own standards with absolute confidence.
From NRC to Covariance
Covariance Inc uses our 1kg-NTS-1003 as its primary standard. This standard is calibrated by the NRC. But what exactly is it compared to?
The K74 is a 1 kilogram reference weight, used as the primary mass standard at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). It is one of the essential standards to guarantee the traceability of mass measurements in Canada, ensuring that all measurements made in laboratories, industries and commercial transactions are accurate and compliant with international standards.
​
K74: A mass standard at the NRC
The K74 is designed for maximum stability, often made from a special platinum-iridium alloy, which gives it increased resistance to wear, corrosion and environmental variations. As a head weight, the K74 is used to calibrate reference or secondary weights and ensure metrological traceability to international standards, including the former International Prototype of the Kilogram (IPK).
This weight is a fundamental element in the Canadian traceability chain, ensuring accurate and reliable measurements in critical sectors such as scientific research, the pharmaceutical industry, and high-precision commercial transactions.
The Kibble Balance in Canada
In addition to the use of reference weights such as the K74, Canada also has a Kibble Balance (formerly called the Watt Balance), located at the NRC. This balance represents a major technological advancement in modern metrology, especially since the redefinition of the kilogram in 2019. Unlike traditional weights, the Kibble Balance measures mass using Planck’s constant and electromagnetic properties, which allows mass to be defined without relying on a physical artifact such as the platinum-iridium prototype.
With this balance, Canada is able to define and maintain the kilogram with unmatched precision, reinforcing the reliability of calibrations and ensuring the traceability of mass measurements. By using fundamental constants of physics, the Kibble balance allows for long-term stability of calibrations, unaffected by environmental conditions or the limitations of physical weights.
The importance of K74 and the Kibble balance
The K74 and the Kibble balance play a crucial role in Canada’s metrology infrastructure. While the K74 continues to ensure the traceability of high-precision physical weights, the Kibble balance places Canada at the forefront of modern metrology, with an approach based on physical constants.
By combining these two approaches, the NRC ensures that mass measurements in Canada are not only reliable, but also in compliance with international standards, ensuring the integrity of industrial, commercial and scientific processes in Canada and around the world.