NIST Special Publication 260-169

Certification of SRM 46H

Chiara F. Ferraris

William Guthrie

Max Peltz

Robin Haupt
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NIST Special Publication 260-169

Certification of SRM 46H

Chiara F. Ferraris

Materials and Construction Research Division

Building and Fire Research Laboratory

William Guthrie 

Statistical Engineering Division

Information Technology Laboratory

Max Peltz

Materials and Construction Research Division

Building and Fire Research Laboratory

Robin Haupt

Materials and Construction Research Division 

Construction Materials Reference Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 28099

January 2008

U.S. Department of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

 James M. Turner, Acting Director
Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this 

document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such 

identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the 

National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the 

entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 260-XXX

Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Spec. Publ. 260-169, 32 pages (January, 2008)

CODEN: NSPUE2

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 2005

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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov — Phone: (202) 512-1800 — Fax: (202) 512-2250

Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
iii

Abstract

The standard reference material (SRM) for fineness of cement, SRM 114, is an integral 

part of the calibration material routinely used in the cement industry to qualify cements. 

Since 1934, NIST has provided SRM 114 for cement fineness testing and it will continue 

to do so as long as the cement industry requires it. Different lots of SRM 114 are 

designated by a unique letter suffix to the SRM number, e.g., 114a, 114b, .... ,114q. A 

certificate that gives the values obtained using the standard tests ASTM C204 (Blaine), 

C115 (Wagner), and C 430 (45 μm sieve residue) for cement fineness and the particle 

size distribution by laser diffraction (LD) is included with each lot of the material. 

In 2005, NIST issued the SRM 114q and it was immediately clear that the cement 

selected was too fine to be easily usable in standard test ASTM C 430 (45 μm sieve 

residue) test method. The value for SRM 114q was about 10 times smaller than that of 

the SRM 114p. As a result, when the sieve used is only slightly larger than 45 μm, the 

residue measured can be zero, a value which cannot be used for sieve calibration. 

To respond to the industry demand to have an SRM viable for C 430 (45 μm sieve 

residue), Staff from NIST and the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) 

identified a cement that would have a residue in the range of 6 % to 10 %. This cement 

was then packaged in small vials, and the values obtained by ASTM C 430 test were 

determined at NIST using calibrated sieves. This new SRM is labeled SRM 46h. 

The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed description of the process used to 

package and certify SRM 46h. All measurements used for the certifications are provided 

along with descriptions of the statistical analyses. To accelerate the development of SRM 

46h, the chemical analysis, the density, the Blaine value, and the particle size distribution 

(PSD) are tabulated but should not be considered certified values. This SRM is 

complementary to SRM 114q and not a replacement. 
Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Stephen Small and the staff of the Cement and Concrete 

Reference Laboratory (CCRL), who were instrumental in providing the samples and 

helping in the selection of the cement. 

The authors would also like to thank some key NIST staff persons without whom this 

certification could not have been completed: Mark Cronise and Curtis Fales for 

packaging all the materials; Theodore Doiron of the Manufacturing Engineering 

Laboratory for the calibration of the sieves used and John Winpigler for some of for 

information only values reported here. 

iv
Table of Contents 

1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 7 

2 Description of Sieve Residue ASTM C 430............................................................... 9 

3 Materials ................................................................................................................... 10 

3.1 Packaging.......................................................................................................... 10 

3.2 Chemical analysis of the cement....................................................................... 10 

3.3 Physical characteristics ..................................................................................... 11 

3.3.1 Density ...................................................................................................... 11 

3.3.2 Surface area by Blaine .............................................................................. 11 

3.3.3 Particle size distribution by laser diffraction ............................................ 11 

4 Experiment Design and Data Analysis for the Sieve Residue ASTM C 430 ........... 14 

5 Summary of Values................................................................................................... 23 

5.1.1 Certified values ......................................................................................... 23 

5.1.2 Information only values ............................................................................ 23 

6 References................................................................................................................. 24

7 Appendix A: Data obtained for Residue.................................................................. 25 

8 Appendix B: Particle size distribution measurements .............................................. 28 

9 Certificate of SRM 46h............................................................................................. 29 

v
List of Tables 

Table 1: Chemical composition ........................................................................................ 10 

Table 2: Cement compounds according to ASTM C150.................................................. 11 

Table 3: Some statistics on the SRM 46h particle size distribution. For definitions refer to 

Ref. [7] ...................................................................................................................... 12 

Table 4: PSD of SRM 46h. The relative standard uncertainties of each mean cumulative 

volume fraction is estimated to be about 0.5 %. (Values for information only)....... 12 

Table 5: PSD results (the relative standard uncertainties of each mean cumulative volume 

fraction are estimated to be about 0.5 %) ................................................................. 23 

List of Figures 

Figure 1: Cumulative volume fraction distributions for 4 different vials of SRM 46h .... 12 

Figure 2: Cumulative particle size distributions of SRM 46h and SRM 114q (Values for 

information only) ...................................................................................................... 13 

Figure 3: WinBUGS model developed to predict the sieve residue at 45 μm.................. 17 

Figure 4: Data in WinBUGS format for the model shown Section 7 (Appendix A) used for 

prediction of the certified value. The data have been separated by sieve for 

convenience of model specification and potential outliers omitted from the analysis 

are indicated by NA. ................................................................................................. 18 

Figure 5: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to the 

data from the 38 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size. ......................................................................................... 19 

Figure 6: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to the 

data from the 46 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size. ......................................................................................... 20 

Figure 7: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to the 

data from the 58 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size. ......................................................................................... 21 

Figure 8: Numerical results from the fit of the Bayesian model for certification of sieve 

residue....................................................................................................................... 22 

Figure 9: Cumulative particle size distribution for SRM 46h........................................... 23 

vi
7

1 Introduction 

A standard reference material (SRM) is a material that has been well characterized with 

regard to its chemical composition, or physical properties, or both. The National Institute 

of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides over 1300 different SRMs to industry and 

academia. These materials are used in quality assurance programs, for calibration, and to 

verify the accuracy of experimental procedures. Every NIST SRM is provided with a 

certificate of analysis that gives the official characterization of the material’s properties. 

In addition, supplementary documentation, such as this report, that describes the 

development, analysis, and use of SRMs is also often published by NIST to provide the 

context necessary for effective use of these materials. 

There are several SRMs related to cement (http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/230/232/232.htm). 

SRM 114 is related to the fineness of cement, as measured by various indirect methods 

giving its surface area and by passing the material through a fine sieve. This SRM is an 

integral part of the calibration material routinely used in the cement industry to qualify a 

cement. Being a powder, the main physical properties of cement are its surface area and 

particle size distribution (PSD). Since 1934, NIST has provided SRM 114 for cement 

fineness and it will continue to do so as long as the cement industry requires it. Different 

lots of SRM 114 are designated by a unique letter suffix to the SRM number. A 

certificate that gives the values obtained using ASTM C 204 (Blaine) [1], C 115 

(Wagner) [2] and C 430 (45 μm residue) [3] is included with each lot of the material. 

In 1934, only the Wagner test and the 45 μm residue were listed. In 1944, the Blaine 

measurement was added to the certificate of SRM 114. In 2003, the PSD measured by 

laser diffraction was added as an information value, i.e., not certified. The PSD was 

obtained under the sponsorship of ASTM Task Group C01.25.01 [4, 5, 6 ]. In 2007, the 

PSD was given as a certified value for SRM 114q [7]. 

In 2006, NIST was made aware that the 45μm residue reported for SRM 114q [8] was 

too low (0.79 % ± 0.19 %) to be of practical use in the correction of measurements as 

described in C 430. Therefore, to response to industries’ demand to have an SRM viable 

for the C 430 (45 μm sieve residue), NIST identified, with the help of Cement and 

Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL), a cement that would have a 45 μm sieve residue 

in the range of 6 % to 10 %. This cement was then packaged in small vials, and the 

certified value for ASTM C 430 was determined at NIST using calibrated sieves. This 

new SRM is labeled SRM 46h. 

The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed description of the process used to 

package and certify SRM 46H. All measurements used for the certifications are provided 

along with descriptions of the statistical analyses. 
To accelerate the development of SRM 46h, the chemical analysis, the density, the Blaine 

value, and the particle size distribution (PSD) are given as information items only and are 

not certified values. This SRM is complementary to SRM 114q and not a replacement. 

8
2 Description of Sieve Residue ASTM C 430 

The principle of this test is to measure the residue or amount of cement retained on a 

calibrated sieve. The sieve was selected as having a 45 μm opening (No. 3251

). Since a 

direct certification of sieve openings is impractical and expensive for production-scale 

work, sieves are calibrated by using a reference material, such as SRM 114 or now SRM 

46h. A sieve correction factor is calculated by measuring the SRM on the selected sieve 

and dividing the result by the certified value of the SRM. 

To avoid propagating the SRM 114q uncertainty in the certification of the sieve residue 

for the SRM 46h material, three sieves with nominal openings of 38 μm, 45 μm, and 56 

μm were directly calibrated for use in reference material certification. Interpolation was 

then used to obtain the value at 45 μm. This is the same method used for the certification 

of SRM 114q. 

 

1

 Sieve numbers follow the USA definition given in ASTM E11 

9
3 Materials 

3.1 Packaging 

Upon its arrival at NIST, the cement was blended in a 1.7 m3

 (60 ft3) V-blender and then 

transferred to 0.2 m3

 (55 gal) drums lined with 0.15 mm (6 mil) polyethylene liners to 

minimize hydration of the cement in storage prior to preparation and packaging. Over 

the next two days, the cement from each drum was sealed in foil bags, each containing 

about 16 kg (35.27 lb) of cement. The foil bags were stored, and subsequently packaged 

as described below into vials, in a climate-controlled area. 

Each foil bag was packaged into vials and capped and boxed. Each box contained 

approximately 500 sealed vials and the boxes were sequentially labeled from 1 to 120. 

Usually about five boxes were filled per day. The more than 60 000 glass vials produced, 

each containing approximately 5 g of cement, were subsequently sealed into smaller 

individual foil bags. Vials were randomly selected (see section 4) for testing sieve 

residue. After the analysis of the results was completed, the vials were packaged in boxes 

containing 10 vials each. 

3.2 Chemical analysis of the cement 

Based on the properties of past lots of SRM 114, CCRL and NIST identified a plant with 

suitable cement for SRM 46h. The material selected was Type I according to the ASTM 

C 150 Standard Classification, and had a mass fraction of 8.4 % tricalcium aluminate 

(C3A) as defined by ASTM C 150. This requirement was the same as for SRM 114q. 

Material was collected directly from the finish mill process stream into bags and then 

shipped to NIST. 

The approximate chemical composition has been determined by ASTM Standard Test 

Method C 114-02 to provide additional information on this cement. Analyses of this 

cement (CCRL Portland Cement Proficiency Sample No. 164; (www.ccrl.us)) were 

performed by 70 to 170 laboratories. The composition, which is not certified but is 

provided for information only, is shown in Table 1. 

Calculation of cement compounds from this chemistry, according to ASTM C 150-02 and 

obtained from the CCRL Portland Cement Proficiency Sample report (www.ccrl.us), are 

shown in Table 2, again for information only. 

Table 1: Chemical composition 

CaO SiO2 A12O3 Fe2O3 SO3 K2O TiO2 P2O5 Na2O MgO 

loss on 

ignition 

Mass 

Fractio

n, % 63.9 20.6 4.9 2.8 2.9 0.7 0.3 0.21 0.19 1.9 1.46 

10
Table 2: Cement compounds according to ASTM C150 

Compound Mass Fraction, 

% 

C3S (tricalcium silicate) 59 

C2S (dicalcium silicate) 15 

C3A (tricalcium aluminate) 8 

C4AF (tetracalcium alumino-ferrite) 8 

3.3 Physical characteristics 

3.3.1 Density 

The density of the cement was measured using the ASTM C 188 [9] method. The 

medium was kerosene, and a calibrated Le Chatelier flask was used as described in the 

ASTM test. Seventeen vials were blended together to obtain the material needed for the 

tests. Two measurements were done: 3.27 g/cm3 and 3.30 g/cm3. These values are given 

for information only and are not certified values. 

3.3.2 Surface area by Blaine 

The Blaine measurements were performed as described in ASTM C 204 [1]. The 

calculations were performed using SRM 114q as the reference material and 3.15 g/cm3 as 

the density. Three Blaine determinations of three measurements each were done on four 

samples of cement from different vials. The average values observed for each vial are: 

3696 cm2/g, 3685 cm2/g, 3737 cm2/g, and 3762 cm2/g. This leads to an average specific 

surface area by the Blaine method of 3720 cm2

/g with a standard uncertainty of ±18 

cm

2

/g (372.0 m2/kg ± 1.8 m2/kg). These values are given for information only and are 

not certified values. For a Blaine SRM, select SRM 114q (or the current SRM 114). 

3.3.3 Particle size distribution by laser diffraction 

To determine the particle size distribution (PSD), laser diffraction (LD) measurements 

were performed on samples from same vials used for ASTM C 204 with the cement 

dispersed in a liquid (suspension). The medium was isopropanol and the method was as 

described in [7]. The parameters used in the analysis were: 

The refractive index of isopropanol was set to be 1.39 

Refractive index of cement: 1.7 

Imaginary index of cement: 1 (In Ref. [10], it has been shown that the selection of an 

imaginary index larger than 0.1 does not affect the results for cement. Therefore, the 

same results would be obtained for imaginary index values of 0.1 to 1.) 

The four specimens were measured 6 times and the distributions obtained for each vial 

are shown in Figure 1. From these results it is clear that the reproducibility of these PSD 

determinations for SRM 46h is very good. Some statistics are shown in Table 3. 

To simplify the data interpretation the cumulative particle size distribution were reduced 

to the following sizes: (1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96, 128) μm. This is 

the same procedure used for SRM 114q [7]. The PSD results for SRM 46h are presented 

11
in Table 4 and Figure 2. The relative standard uncertainties of each mean cumulative 

volume fraction determined is estimated to be about 0.5 %, but ref. [7] provides a more 

comprehensive uncertainty analysis of PSD measurements. These values are given for 

information only and are not certified values. For a PSD SRM, select SRM 114q (or the 

current issue of SRM 114). SRM 46h is coarser than SRM 114q as desired to ensure that 

the C 430 test would give larger 45μm sieve residues. 

0

20

40

60

80

100

0.1 1 10 100 1000

Size [μm]

Cumulative Volume Fraction [%] 

Vial 1

Vial 2

Vial 3

Vial 4

Figure 1: Cumulative volume fraction distributions for 4 different vials of SRM 46h 

Table 3: Some statistics on the SRM 46h particle size distribution. For definitions 

refer to Ref. [7] 

10 % diameter 50 % diameter 90 % diameter Span 

Average [μm] 1.42 12.84 43.06 3.24 

Standard 

deviation 0.02 0.08 0.25 0.01 

Table 4: PSD of SRM 46h. The relative standard uncertainties of each mean 

cumulative volume fraction is estimated to be about 0.5 %. (Values for information 

only) 

Particle Size, 

μm 

1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 12.0 16.0 24.0 32.0 48.0 64.0 96.0 128.0

Mean 

Cumulative 

Volume 

Fraction, [%] 

6.7 10.6 14.0 19.6 24.1 31.1 37.2 47.9 57.1 71.4 81.3 92.5 97.4 99.9 100.0

12
0

20

40

60

80

100

1 1.5 2 3 4 6 8 12 16 24 32 48 64 96 128

Size [μm]

Cumulative [%] 

SRM 114q

SRM 46h

Figure 2: Cumulative particle size distributions of SRM 46h and SRM 114q (Values 

for information only) 

13
4 Experiment Design and Data Analysis for the Sieve Residue 

ASTM C 430 

To determine the mass fraction of cement that would be retained in a 45 μm sieve, 

determinations of sieve residue were made using calibrated sieves of different sizes and a 

quadratic model was fit to that data to predict the residue at 45 μm. Based on their 

calibrations, the sizes of the three sieves used were 37.95 μm, 46.3 μm, and 57.8 μm, 

each with a standard uncertainty of ± 0.707 μm. The data obtained for analysis are mass 

fractions of cement residue using procedures consistent with standard test method ASTM 

C430. 

 

In addition to including residues from different size sieves, the experimental design used 

to collect this data was also set up to allow the estimation of potential material 

heterogeneity between vials and between boxes of vials and potential day-to-day 

differences in the measurements. Overall, data were collected on 15 days on duplicate 

vials randomly sampled from 30 boxes of the candidate cement. Section 7 (Appendix A) 

shows the experimental design in the randomized run order used to collect the data. A 

few data points for each sieve appeared to be outliers (as shown in Section 7: Appendix 

A) and were not used in further analysis. Given the form of the final model that was 

found to describe the data (discussed below), the fact that the outlying points were always 

observed the first time when the sieve was used probably indicates a difference in 

behavior between a new, unused sieve and a sieve that has been used. 

Because there was significant uncertainty in both the sieve calibrations and the measured 

sieve residues, the quadratic model was fit to the data using Bayesian methods [11]. The 

flexibility of the Bayesian approach makes it relatively easy to account for these two 

sources of variation and also to estimate day-to-day and material heterogeneity effects. 

These effects can be either random or systematically related to such variables as the 

number of times each sieve has been used or the position of a vial in the vialing sequence. 

The Bayesian approach also provides results with a clear cut statistical interpretation 

when incorporating systematic sources of uncertainty evaluated using Type B methods, 

which were significant in the uncertainty of the sieve calibrations. 

The main difference between a Bayesian analysis and the frequentist statistical methods 

that people are often more familiar with arises in the way the true physical quantities 

(called parameters) are incorporated in the statistical model of the data. In a frequentist 

analysis, the parameters are treated as fixed, unknown constants while in the Bayesian 

analysis one's knowledge of the unknown parameter value is modeled with a probability 

distribution. In both approaches the probability of the data given the parameters (called 

the likelihood of the data) is also used when fitting the model. In a frequentist analysis, a 

statistical criterion, such as the least squares, is used to obtain estimates of each 

parameter in the model and their associated uncertainties. These are then propagated as 

necessary, typically according to the methods outlined in the ISO Guide to the Expression 

of Uncertainty in Measurement [12], to obtain an estimate of the parameter of interest 

(the measurand) and its uncertainty. In the Bayesian approach, prior probability 

14
distributions for one's knowledge of each parameter are specified before analyzing the 

data and Bayes’ theorem [11] is used to update the prior distributions using the 

information in the data. The resulting posterior distributions for each parameter in the 

model, including the measurand, represent our knowledge of the parameter values given 

the data that was observed. Because the measurand has a probability distribution in the 

Bayesian setting, direct probability statements about its uncertainty can be made based on 

its distribution. In particular, 95 % probability intervals can be computed. 

Several models were actually fit to this data to try to determine which of many potential 

sources of uncertainty were needed to accurately describe the data. The appropriateness 

of these different models was assessed using posterior predictive residuals [13, 14]. 

Based on the results obtained with this series of models, the material appears to be 

homogeneous but to have systematic changes in the residue left behind on the sieves with 

each use. The effect of sieve use looked linear in each case, so the final model fit to 

obtain the certified values was actually quadratic in the original sieve size and included 

linear terms for each sieve that described how much the sieve size was effectively 

reduced each time the sieve was used. 

Each model was fit to the data using a technique called Markov Chain Monte Carlo 

simulation using an open-source software package called WinBUGS [15]. The model 

used to obtain the certified values is shown in Figure 3, as implemented in WinBUGS. 

The first block of code in the model defines the prior distributions for the parameters in 

the model and related parameters needed to specify the probability distributions used to 

describe the data. The first set of prior distributions, for the vector of parameters, mu.s, 

that describe the size of the openings in each sieve, are each normal distributions 

determined from the sieve calibration reports. These distributions are informative prior 

distributions based the calibrations of the sieves. The remaining prior distributions, for 

sigma.wv and b, are all uniform distributions with relatively large variances that are 

sometimes referred to as vague or non-informative distributions. Use of relatively noninformative prior distributions means that we are not incorporating prior knowledge of 

these parameter values in the analysis but are relying on the data alone to determine their 

values. The parameter sigma.wv describes the random variation in the residues 

measured using each sieve while the vector of parameters denoted b are the regression 

coefficients. The first three components of b are the regression coefficients that described 

the relationship between the sieve sizes and the residues while the latter three describe 

how much the sieve residues changed with each use of the sieve (one parameter for each 

size). 

The next block of code describes the probability distributions for the data y38, y46, and 

y58 (by sieve), which are assumed to be normal with different means for each 

measurement and different levels of variation for each set of data. This block of codes 

also defines the interrelationships of the parameters in the model, including the quadratic 

relationship between sieve size and residue and the linear change in sieve residue with 

repeated use of each sieve. Finally, predicted values, residuals, and individual p-values 

are also defined in the loop that specifies the likelihood of each data point. 

15
In the last block of code the distribution of the residue predicted for a sieve with openings 

of exactly 45 μm sieve, mr45, is defined. Note that the quadratic relationship between 

the sieve sizes and the sieve residues is specified using an orthogonal polynomial to more 

easily relate the prior distributions of the parameters to the values of cement residue 

expected for the sizes of sieves used and to potentially improve the numerical stability of 

the computations. The data, in the format used in the fit of the model, is shown in Figure 

4. 

Residuals from the fit of the model are shown in Figure 7, Figure 6, and Figure 7 for 

y38, y46, and y58 respectively. Since the simulation generates a distribution of 

predicted values associated with each data point, the distributions of residuals are shown 

using box plots rather than as individual points as would be done in an analysis of 

variance or regression analysis. The fact that these distributions randomly cluster around 

zero and the distributions all overlap zero indicates that the model seems to fit the data 

reasonably well. 

The results of the analysis are shown in Figure 8. From those numeric results, the 2.5 % 

and 97.5 % quantiles of the distribution for mr45, can be seen to be 6.64 % and 8.14 %. 

The posterior mean of the distribution is 7.43 %. Computing upper and lower expanded 

uncertainties from these values indicates that an expanded uncertainty of ± 0.79 % can be 

used since the upper and lower values are fairly close and the larger of the two is 0.79 %. 

A standard uncertainty of uc = 0.38 % should be used for future uncertainty computations 

based on the sieve residue of this material when passed through a 45 μm sieve. 

16
model

{ 

for(i in 1:3) 

{ 

pr.cv.s[i] <- 1/(uc.cv.s[i]*uc.cv.s[i]) 

mu.s[i]~dnorm(cv.s[i],pr.cv.s[i]) 

mu.r[i] <- b[1]+b[2]*(mu.s[i]-47.35)+b[3]*(mu.s[i]*mu.s[i]-

96.25751893891726*mu.s[i]+2249.549355091065) 

sigma.wv[i]~dunif(0,10) 

tau.wv[i] <- 1/(sigma.wv[i]*sigma.wv[i]) 

} 

b[1]~dunif(0,20) 

b[2]~dunif(-2,0) 

b[3]~dunif(-1,1) 

b[4]~dunif(-1,1) 

b[5]~dunif(-1,1) 

b[6]~dunif(-1,1) 

for(i in 1:40) 

{ 

y38[i]~dt(mu38[i],tau.wv[1],df[1]) 

y46[i]~dt(mu46[i],tau.wv[2],df[2]) 

y58[i]~dt(mu58[i],tau.wv[3],df[3]) 

mu38[i] <- mu.r[1]+b[4]*(i-1) 

mu46[i] <- mu.r[2]+b[5]*(i-1) 

mu58[i] <- mu.r[3]+b[6]*(i-1) 

p.y38[i]~dt(mu38[i],tau.wv[1],df[1]) 

p.y46[i]~dt(mu46[i],tau.wv[2],df[2]) 

p.y58[i]~dt(mu58[i],tau.wv[3],df[3]) 

res[i] <- y38[i]-p.y38[i] 

res[i+40] <- y46[i]-p.y46[i] 

res[i+80] <- y58[i]-p.y58[i] 

pv[i] <- step(res[i]) 

pv[i+40] <- step(res[i+40]) 

pv[i+80] <- step(res[i+80]) 

} 

mr45 <- b[1]+b[2]*(45-47.35)+b[3]*(45*45-

96.25751893891726*45+2249.549355091065) 

} 

Figure 3: WinBUGS model developed to predict the sieve residue at 45 μm. 

17
list( 

cv.s=c(37.95,46.3,57.8), 

uc.cv.s=c(0.7071068,0.7071068,0.70710

68), 

df=c(200,200,200), 

y38=c( 

12.4663140033936,12.4550179928029, 

12.2204472843450,12.5212181727409, 

 NA,12.5062431325542, 

 NA,12.0336100830249, 

12.9922046771937,13.3766233766234, 

12.9396482813749,12.8784094315116, 

12.9687031296870,13.2067932067932, 

12.9061281615515,13.4951553291379, 

13.2122542660413,13.4907926341073, 

13.4265734265734,13.1649865256014, 

13.1728752621592,13.3000000000000, 

13.3286671332867,13.9662573624838, 

13.8819534605013,13.7951686963466, 

13.8000000000000,13.7834598481822, 

13.4792166266986,13.5483226837061, 

13.5561097256858,13.8492261607589, 

14.5251396648045,13.8875012488760, 

14.0349127182045,13.8403117817528, 

14.3085531574740,13.5064935064935, 

13.7920703085988,13.6941082324697), 

y46=c( 

 NA,7.08936595107339, 

6.61536924153093,6.78457234212630, 

6.60207750699161,6.55262104841937, 

6.79660169915043,6.88622754491018, 

6.65866826634673,7.14214264279284, 

6.90723710515794,6.97139427885577, 

6.75918530351438,6.81908945686901, 

7.03156212544946,7.19424460431655, 

7.03015777910925,7.36337296433210, 

7.28053530410466,7.20855828834233, 

7.24478594950604,7.10147822612864, 

7.24492855001499,6.95513140801439, 

7.23072307230723,7.27037000099731, 

7.40037950664137,7.30028921910841, 

7.44362402714029,7.26691954481933, 

7.36747529200359,7.21567059764142, 

7.22205573868744,7.17282717282717, 

7.50075007500750,7.44223266980094, 

7.31756014774883,7.40296118447379, 

7.31122652816620,7.38335498051753), 

y58=c( 

3.39592489013184,3.4889533140058

, 

 

NA,3.42349535881825, 

3.29703267059646,3.4255467891740

7, 

3.22355289421158,3.4613845538215

3, 

3.87116134840452,3.7307461492298

5, 

3.52070414082817,3.5831919353228

9, 

3.68815592203898,3.6681659170414

8, 

3.52647352647353,3.7732082251946

5, 

3.71368673255466,3.8169464428457

2, 

3.67558929284858,3.9288213535939

2, 

3.67485520271620,3.6874188068352

2, 

3.70296436770137,3.8307661532306

5, 

3.84000000000000,4.0639041437843

2, 

3.79544546544147,3.9748327174672

9, 

3.80581360503446,3.8100000000000

0, 

3.78092577813248,3.9940089865202

2, 

3.96960303969603,3.8937699680511

2, 

3.93763741754947,4.0075954427343

6, 

3.93842463014794,4.0720360180090

0, 

4.09672262190248,4.1870690516638

4)) 

Figure 4: Data in WinBUGS format for the model shown Section 7 (Appendix A) 

used for prediction of the certified value. The data have been separated by sieve for 

convenience of model specification and potential outliers omitted from the analysis 

are indicated by NA.

18
1 4 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39

-2 -1 0 1 2

Data Index

Observed-Predicted Sieve Residues, %

Figure 5: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to 

the data from the 38 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size.

19
1 4 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

Data Index

Observed-Predicted Sieve Residues, %

Figure 6: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to 

the data from the 46 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size.

20
1 4 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39

-0.5 0.0 0.5

Data Index

Observed-Predicted Sieve Residues, %

Figure 7: Box plots of the posterior predictive residuals from the fit of the model to 

the data from the 58 μm sieve. The whiskers indicate the ranges of the residual 

distributions. Note that in this model the variation of the residual distributions 

depends on the sieve size. 

21
 node mean sd MC error 2.50% median 97.50% start sample

b[1] 7.5650 0.2517 0.003729 7.0990 7.5530 8.0830 4001 4000

b[2] -0.4541 0.0315 0.000439 -0.5227 -0.4514 -0.4027 4001 4000

b[3] 0.0211 0.0061 0.000089 0.0116 0.0204 0.0349 4001 4000

b[4] 0.0430 0.0045 0.000070 0.0343 0.0429 0.0521 4001 4000

b[5] 0.0188 0.0023 0.000039 0.0144 0.0188 0.0231 4001 4000

b[6] 0.0174 0.0017 0.000025 0.0141 0.0174 0.0208 4001 4000

mr45 7.4280 0.3790 0.005860 6.6430 7.4420 8.1390 4001 4000

mu.r[1] 12.4800 0.1040 0.001753 12.2700 12.4800 12.6800 4001 4000

mu.r[2] 6.7410 0.0531 0.000862 6.6340 6.7410 6.8470 4001 4000

mu.r[3] 3.4040 0.0394 0.000590 3.3260 3.4030 3.4820 4001 4000

mu.s[1] 38.0200 0.7049 0.009964 36.6500 38.0200 39.4100 4001 4000

mu.s[2] 46.2700 0.7221 0.011200 44.8600 46.2700 47.6800 4001 4000

mu.s[3] 57.7200 0.7136 0.012400 56.3000 57.7100 59.1500 4001 4000

sigma.wv[1] 0.3071 0.0382 0.000528 0.2429 0.3032 0.3931 4001 4000

sigma.wv[2] 0.1590 0.0195 0.000319 0.1262 0.1573 0.2015 4001 4000

sigma.wv[3] 0.1207 0.0146 0.000217 0.0960 0.1195 0.1529 4001 4000

Figure 8: Numerical results from the fit of the Bayesian model for certification of 

sieve residue. 

22
5 Summary of Values 

5.1.1 Certified values 

The certified value for the SRM 46h certificate is: 

 

Measurement and ASTM Method Result

Sieve Residue C 430-96 (2003)

(45 μm sieve) 

7.43 % ± 0.79 % 

5.1.2 Information only values 

Measurement and ASTM Method Result

Specific Surface Area C 204-07 

(Blaine) 

3720 cm2

/g ± 18 cm2/g 

(372.0 m2/kg ± 1.8 m2/kg) 

Density by Le Chatelier Flask 3.27 g/cm3 and 3.30 g/cm3

The particle size distribution (PSD) is given in Table 5 and Figure 9. 

Table 5: PSD results (the relative standard uncertainties of each mean cumulative 

volume fraction are estimated to be about 0.5 %) 

Particle Size, 

μm 

1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 12.0 16.0 24.0 32.0 48.0 64.0 96.0 128.0

Mean 

Cumulative 

Volume 

Fraction, [%] 

6.7 10.6 14.0 19.6 24.1 31.1 37.2 47.9 57.1 71.4 81.3 92.5 97.4 99.9 100.0

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 1.5 2 3 4 6 8 12 16 24 32 48 64 96 128

Size [μm]

Cumulative [%] 

SRM 46h

Figure 9: Cumulative particle size distribution for SRM 46h. 

23
6 References 

1 “Standard Test Method for Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by Air Permeability 

Apparatus”, ASTM C204-07 (2007) Volume: 04.01 

2 “Standard Test Method for Fineness of Portland Cement by the Turbidimeter”, 

ASTM C115-96a (2003) Volume: 04.01 

3 “Standard Test Method for Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by the 45-μm (No. 325) 

Sieve”, ASTM C 430-96 (2003) Volume: 04.01 

4 Ferraris, C.F, Hackley V.A., Aviles A.I., Buchanan C.E., "Analysis of the ASTM 

Round-Robin Test on Particle Size Distribution of Portland Cement: Phase I" NISTIR 

6883, May 2002 (http://ciks.cbt.nist.gov/~garbocz/nist6883/nistir6883.htm) 

5 Ferraris, C.F, Hackley V.A., Aviles A.I., Buchanan C.E., "Analysis of the ASTM 

Round-Robin Test on Particle Size Distribution of Portland Cement: Phase II" 

NISTIR 6931, December 2002 

6 Ferraris C.F., Hackley V.A., Avilés A.I., “Measurement of Particle Size Distribution 

in Portland Cement Powder: Analysis of ASTM Round-Robin Studies”, Cement, 

Concrete and Aggregate Journal, Dec. 2004, vol. 26 #2, pp 71-81 

7 Ferraris C.F., Guthrie W., Avilés A.I., Peltz M., Haupt R., MacDonald B. S. 

“Certification of SRM 114q; Part II (Particle Size distribution)”, NIST SP260-166, 

November 2006 

8 Ferraris, C.F., Guthrie W., Avilés A.I., Haupt, R., McDonald B., “Certification of 

SRM 114q; Part I”, NIST SP260-161, July 2005 

9 “Standard Test Method for Density of Hydraulic Cement”, ASTM C188-95(2003) 

Volume: 04.01 

10 Hackley V., Lum L-S., Gintautas V., Ferraris C., “Particle Size Analysis by Laser 

Diffraction Spectrometry: Applications to Cementitious Powders”, NISTIR 7097, 

March 2004 

11 Lee, Peter M. Bayesian Statistics: An Introduction, 2nd ed, Arnold Publishers, London 

(1997) 344 p 

12 ISO; Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement; ISBN 92-67-10188-9, 

1st ed.; International Organization for Standardization: Geneva, Switzerland (1993). 

13 Gelman, A., A Bayesian Formulation of Exploratory Data Analysis and Goodness-offit Testing, International Statistical Review (2003), 71, 2, 369–382. 

14 Bayarri, M.J., Berger, J.O., P Values for Composite Null Models, Journal of the 

American Statistical Association, Vol. 95, No. 452. (Dec., 2000), pp. 1127-1142. 

15 WinBUGS, http://www.mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk/bugs/. 

24
25

7 Appendix A: Data obtained for Residue 

Values with bold black outlines were determined to be outliers and were not used in the analyses 

(see discussion Section 4) 

Vial selection Mass measured [g] Residue 

Test Day Day vial 

prepared 

Box 

# 

Vial 

# 

Sieve 

# 

Before After [%] 

1 9 36 1 1 1.0024 0.1021 10.19 

1 9 33 2 1 1.0016 0.1224 12.22 

1 9 36 2 1 1.0026 0.0986 9.83 

1 9 36 2 1 0.9997 0.1203 12.03 

1 9 33 1 1 1.0019 0.1249 12.47 

1 9 36 1 1 1.0011 0.1252 12.51 

1 9 33 2 1 1.0015 0.1254 12.52 

1 9 33 1 1 1.0004 0.1246 12.46 

2 18 70 2 3 1.0017 0.0299 2.98 

2 18 71 1 3 1.0009 0.0330 3.30 

2 18 70 1 3 1.0012 0.0340 3.40 

2 18 70 1 3 1.0003 0.0349 3.49 

2 18 71 2 3 1.0020 0.0323 3.22 

2 18 71 1 3 1.0013 0.0343 3.43 

2 18 71 2 3 0.9996 0.0346 3.46 

2 18 70 2 3 1.0019 0.0343 3.42 

3 23 89 1 2 1.0020 0.0594 5.93 

3 23 91 1 2 1.0012 0.0661 6.60 

3 23 91 2 2 1.0005 0.0680 6.80 

3 23 91 1 2 0.9996 0.0655 6.55 

3 23 89 2 2 1.0007 0.0662 6.62 

3 23 89 2 2 1.0008 0.0679 6.78 

3 23 91 2 2 1.0020 0.0690 6.89 

3 23 89 1 2 1.0015 0.0710 7.09 

4 22 85 2 3 0.9998 0.0352 3.52 

4 22 88 1 3 1.0005 0.0369 3.69 

4 22 88 1 3 1.0005 0.0367 3.67 

4 22 85 2 3 1.0019 0.0359 3.58 

4 22 88 2 3 1.0010 0.0353 3.53 

4 22 85 1 3 0.9997 0.0387 3.87 

4 22 88 2 3 1.0018 0.0378 3.77 

4 22 85 1 3 0.9998 0.0373 3.73 

5 24 95 2 1 1.0003 0.1291 12.91 

5 24 93 2 1 1.0008 0.1295 12.94 

5 24 95 1 1 1.0001 0.1297 12.97 

5 24 93 1 1 1.0006 0.1300 12.99 

5 24 93 2 1 1.0009 0.1289 12.88 

5 24 95 1 1 1.0010 0.1322 13.21 

5 24 93 1 1 1.0010 0.1339 13.38 

5 24 95 2 1 1.0011 0.1351 13.50 
Vial selection Mass measured [g] Residue 

Test Day Day vial 

prepared 

Box 

# 

Vial 

# 

Sieve 

# 

Before After [%] 

6 6 23 1 2 1.0002 0.0666 6.66 

6 6 24 2 2 1.0012 0.0704 7.03 

6 6 24 1 2 1.0016 0.0677 6.76 

6 6 23 2 2 1.0004 0.0691 6.91 

6 6 24 1 2 1.0016 0.0683 6.82 

6 6 23 2 2 0.9998 0.0697 6.97 

6 6 23 1 2 0.9997 0.0714 7.14 

6 6 24 2 2 1.0008 0.0720 7.19 

7 7 25 1 2 1.0014 0.0704 7.03 

7 7 26 2 2 1.0007 0.0725 7.24 

7 7 25 2 2 1.0013 0.0729 7.28 

7 7 26 1 2 1.0021 0.0726 7.24 

7 7 26 2 2 1.0007 0.0696 6.96 

7 7 25 1 2 1.0009 0.0737 7.36 

7 7 25 2 2 1.0002 0.0721 7.21 

7 7 26 1 2 1.0012 0.0711 7.10 

8 11 43 1 1 1.0013 0.1319 13.17 

8 11 41 1 1 1.0021 0.1324 13.21 

8 11 41 2 1 1.0010 0.1344 13.43 

8 11 43 1 1 1.0000 0.1330 13.30 

8 11 41 2 1 1.0019 0.1319 13.16 

8 11 43 2 1 1.0001 0.1333 13.33 

8 11 43 2 1 1.0017 0.1399 13.97 

8 11 41 1 1 0.9992 0.1348 13.49 

9 13 51 1 1 1.0008 0.1349 13.48 

9 13 51 1 1 1.0016 0.1357 13.55 

9 13 51 2 1 1.0025 0.1359 13.56 

9 13 49 1 1 1.0013 0.1390 13.88 

9 13 49 2 1 1.0000 0.1380 13.80 

9 13 51 2 1 1.0015 0.1387 13.85 

9 13 49 2 1 1.0012 0.1380 13.78 

9 13 49 1 1 1.0018 0.1382 13.80 

10 17 66 2 1 1.0025 0.1407 14.03 

10 17 66 1 1 1.0024 0.1456 14.53 

10 17 68 1 1 1.0008 0.1432 14.31 

10 17 68 2 1 1.0013 0.1381 13.79 

10 17 66 1 1 1.0009 0.1390 13.89 

10 17 68 2 1 0.9997 0.1369 13.69 

10 17 66 2 1 1.0007 0.1385 13.84 

10 17 68 1 1 1.0010 0.1352 13.51 

11 1 1 2 3 1.0012 0.0368 3.68 

11 1 3 2 3 1.0019 0.0371 3.70 

11 1 1 1 3 1.0017 0.0372 3.71 

11 1 3 2 3 0.9998 0.0383 3.83 

11 1 3 1 3 1.0014 0.0368 3.67 

11 1 1 2 3 1.0003 0.0393 3.93 

11 1 3 1 3 1.0007 0.0369 3.69 

11 1 1 1 3 1.0008 0.0382 3.82 

26
Vial selection Mass measured [g] Residue 

Test Day Day vial 

prepared 

Box 

# 

Vial 

# 

Sieve 

# 

Before After [%] 

12 16 63 1 3 1.0011 0.0381 3.81 

12 16 63 1 3 1.0000 0.0381 3.81 

12 16 62 1 3 1.0000 0.0384 3.84 

12 16 63 2 3 1.0024 0.0379 3.78 

12 16 63 2 3 1.0015 0.0400 3.99 

12 16 62 2 3 1.0012 0.0380 3.80 

12 16 62 1 3 1.0015 0.0407 4.06 

12 16 62 2 3 1.0013 0.0398 3.97 

13 27 106 1 3 1.0001 0.0397 3.97 

13 27 108 1 3 1.0004 0.0394 3.94 

13 27 106 1 3 1.0016 0.0390 3.89 

13 27 106 2 3 1.0006 0.0394 3.94 

13 27 108 2 3 1.0008 0.0410 4.10 

13 27 108 1 3 0.9995 0.0407 4.07 

13 27 106 2 3 1.0006 0.0401 4.01 

13 27 108 2 3 1.0007 0.0419 4.19 

14 30 118 2 2 1.0013 0.0741 7.40 

14 30 118 1 2 0.9999 0.0723 7.23 

14 30 120 1 2 1.0022 0.0746 7.44 

14 30 120 1 2 1.0018 0.0728 7.27 

14 30 118 1 2 1.0027 0.0729 7.27 

14 30 118 2 2 1.0027 0.0732 7.30 

14 30 120 2 2 1.0017 0.0738 7.37 

14 30 120 2 2 1.0006 0.0722 7.22 

15 8 32 1 2 1.0017 0.0733 7.32 

15 8 31 1 2 1.0011 0.0723 7.22 

15 8 32 2 2 1.0012 0.0732 7.31 

15 8 31 1 2 1.0010 0.0718 7.17 

15 8 32 2 2 1.0009 0.0739 7.38 

15 8 31 2 2 0.9999 0.0750 7.50 

15 8 31 2 2 0.9997 0.0744 7.44 

15 8 32 1 2 0.9996 0.0740 7.40 

27
8 Appendix B: Particle size distribution measurements 

Cumulative Volume Fractions [%] Statistics 

Size 

[μm] Vial 1 Vial 2 Vial 3 Vial 4 

Average 

Cumulative 

Volume 

Fraction 

[%]

Standard 

Deviation of 

Average 

Cumulative 

Volume 

Fraction, [%] 

Coefficient 

of 

Variation, 

[%] 

1 6.651 6.535 6.819 6.830 6.71 0.071 1.1%

1.5 10.535 10.368 10.725 10.750 10.59 0.089 0.8%

2 13.971 13.799 14.191 14.165 14.03 0.092 0.7%

3 19.577 19.439 19.864 19.699 19.64 0.090 0.5%

4 23.975 23.868 24.307 24.051 24.05 0.093 0.4%

6 31.007 30.925 31.370 31.063 31.09 0.097 0.3%

8 37.083 37.006 37.446 37.143 37.17 0.096 0.3%

12 47.862 47.772 48.209 47.909 47.94 0.095 0.2%

16 57.071 56.948 57.405 57.098 57.13 0.097 0.2%

24 71.383 71.202 71.685 71.441 71.43 0.100 0.1%

32 81.276 81.094 81.527 81.410 81.33 0.093 0.1%

48 92.386 92.312 92.540 92.570 92.45 0.062 0.1%

64 97.350 97.390 97.459 97.441 97.41 0.025 0.0%

96 99.990 99.993 99.993 99.766 99.94 0.056 0.1%

128 100.000 100.000 100.000 99.873 99.97 0.032 0.0%

28
29

9 Certificate of SRM 46h 

The certificate for SRM 46h is provided below for information only. The official version of the 

certificate is the available online at: 

https://srmors.nist.gov/certificates/view_cert2gif.cfm?certificate=46h 

Select “Standard Reference Materials” from the website www.nist.gov and typing in “46h”. 
SRM 46h Page 1 of 4 

National Institute of Standards & Technology 

Certificate of Analysis 

Standard Reference Material® 46h 

Portland Cement Fineness Standard 

This Standard Reference Material (SRM) is intended for use in calibrating fineness testing equipment according to 

ASTM Standard Methods. A unit of SRM 46h contains 10 glass vials of approximately 5 g of powdered cement. 

Each vial has a plastic snap off cap and is contained in a sealed foil bag. 

Certified Values and Uncertainties: A NIST certified value is a value for which NIST has the highest confidence 

in its accuracy and that all known or suspected sources of bias have been investigated or accounted for by NIST. 

The certified value for sieve residue, given in Table 1, was calculated from NIST data using three calibrated sieves 

having openings ranging from 38 μm to 56 μm. The expanded uncertainty for the sieve residue was computed using 

a Bayesian statistical analysis and is given at the 95 % probability level. The expanded uncertainty accounts for the 

variability due to random measurement errors and sieve calibrations. Material homogeneity was assessed and no 

evidence of significant heterogeneity was found. 

Table l. Certified Values 

 

 Measurand ASTM Method Certified Value and Expanded Uncertainty 

 

 Sieve Residue (45 μm residue) C 430-96(2003)(a) 7.43 % ± 0.79 % 

(a) Standard Test Method for Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by the 45 μm (No. 325) Sieve. 

Expiration of Certification: The certification of SRM 46h is valid, within the measurement uncertainty specified, 

until 31 December 2017, provided the SRM is handled in accordance with instructions given in this certificate (see 

“Instructions for Use”). The certification is nullified if the SRM is damaged, contaminated, or otherwise modified. 

Maintenance of Certification: NIST will monitor this SRM over the period of its certification. If substantive 

technical changes occur that affect the certification before the expiration of certification, NIST will notify the 

purchaser. Registration (see attached sheet) will facilitate notification. 

The preparation of the material and the coordination of the technical measurements leading to certification were 

performed by C. Ferraris of the NIST Materials and Construction Research Division. 

Statistical consultation on measurement design and analysis of the certification data was performed by W.F. Guthrie 

of the NIST Statistical Engineering Division. 

Support aspects involved in the preparation of this SRM were coordinated through the NIST Measurement Services 

Division. 

Jonathan Martin, Chief 

Materials and Construction Research Division 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899 Robert L. Watters, Jr., Chief 

Certificate Issue Date: 28 April 2008 Measurement Services Division 
SRM 46h Page 2 of 4 

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE 

Stability and Use: This material is considered to be extremely hygroscopic. Based on measurements in 1993 of 

several renewals of SRM 114, the properties certified are stable as long as the foil bag remains sealed. The specific 

surface area of cement changes on exposure to the moisture in air. Therefore, this cement should be used 

immediately after opening the outer foil bag. 

Allow the sealed foil bag to equilibrate to testing temperature before opening. To open the pouch, cut off the end 

with scissors. Fluff the cement in accordance with ASTM Standard C204, Section 3.4, allow the cement to settle for 

2 minutes, and then perform the measurement. 

Material Selection and Packaging1: The desired properties were selected for 46h to be coarser than 114q so as to 

obtain a 45μm residue of about 6 % to 10 %. The Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) and NIST 

identified a plant with suitable cement for this SRM. The material selected was Type I according to the ASTM C 

150 Standard Classification and had a mass fraction of 8.4 % tricalcium aluminate (C3A). The material was 

collected for shipment to NIST directly from the finish mill process stream into bags. Upon arrival at NIST, the 

cement was blended in a V-blender (1.68 m3

) and then transferred to 208 L (55 gallon) drums lined with 0.015 cm 

(6 mil) polyethylene liners to minimize hydration of the cement in storage prior to preparation and packaging. Over 

the next two days, the cement from each drum was sealed in foil bags, each containing about 16 kg of cement. The 

foil bags were stored in a climate-controlled area. The contents of each bag were subsequently packaged into vials. 

The vials were then capped and packaged in boxes of about 500 vials per box. The boxes were sequentially labeled 

from 1 to 120. About 5 boxes were filled per day. Nearly 60 000 glass vials, each containing approximately 5 g of 

cement, were produced. Each vial was then individually sealed in a foil bag. Vials were selected from the lot by 

random sampling [4] for certification analyses. 

Homogeneity Assessment and Certification Analyses: During the certification process using the same data 

obtained from the sieve residue analysis, material homogeneity was assessed and no evidence of significant 

heterogeneity was found. 

Certification analyses according to ASTM Standard Test Method C 430-96 for the 45 μm sieve residue were 

performed at NIST on 120 samples from 60 vials of cement. Analysis and details are reported in ref. [4]. 

Information Values: NIST information values are considered to be of interest to the SRM user, but are not 

certified because insufficient information is available to assess adequately the uncertainty associated with the values 

or only a limited number of analyses were performed. Information values for SRM 46h are Chemical composition 

(Tables 2), Chemical Compounds (Table 3), surface area by Blaine (ASTM C204), density, and particle size 

distribution. These values cannot be used for calibration purposes. For Blaine and particle size use SRM 114q 

or the current SRM 114. 

Chemical composition determined by ASTM Standard Test Method C114-02 is shown in Table 2. The analysis of 

this cement (CCRL Portland Cement Proficiency Sample No. 164) was performed by 70 to 170 laboratories; the 

number of participating laboratories depends on the value measured. Table 3 provides the calculation of cement 

compounds according to ASTM C 150-02. 

1

Certain commercial equipment, instruments or materials are identified in this certificate to adequately specify the 

experimental procedure. Such identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the 

purpose.
SRM 46h Page 3 of 4 

Table 2. Information Values for Chemical Composition 

 Compound Mass Fraction [%] Compound Mass Fraction [%] 

CaO 63.9 K2O 0.68 

SiO2 20.6 TiO2 0.30 

A12O3 4.9 P2O5 0.21 

Fe2O3 2.8 Na2O 0.19 

SO3 2.9 MgO 1.9 

Loss on Ignition 1.5 

Table 3. Information Values for Cement Compounds (Calculation from Table 2) 

Compound Mass Fraction 

 (%) 

 C3S (tricalcium silicate) 59 

 C2S (dicalcium silicate) 15 

 C3A (tricalcium aluminate) 8 

 C4AF (tetracalcium alumino-ferrite) 8 

Blaine: Analyses for specific surface area using ASTM Standard Test Methods C 204-00 were performed on four 

samples at NIST. SRM 114q Portland Cement Fineness Standard was used for calibration and the density was 

assumed to be 3.15 g/cm3

 as recommended in the SRM 114q certificate. The Blaine value was determined as 

3720 cm2

/g ± 36 cm2/g (372.0 m2/kg ± 3.6 m2/kg). 

Density of cement: The density was measured twice at NIST: the results were 3.27 g/cm3 and 3.30 g/cm3. 

Particle Size Distribution (PSD): The SRM 46h particle size distribution (PSD) was determined using laser 

diffraction (LD) in liquid medium (LD-W) techniques at NIST. The results calculated a mean PSD for LD-W, and 

are shown graphically in Figure 1 and tabulated in Table 4. A complete discussion of the test procedures is provided 

in references 3 and 4. The particle size distribution provided here is given for information only. For a SRM on 

PSD, use SRM 114q or later version. The parameters used to develop the PSD were: 

• The complex refractive index for the cement used had a real part of 1.7 and an imaginary part of 1.0 

• IPA was used as the medium and the refractive index (real) used was 1.39; the imaginary part was zero. 

Table 4. The Particle Size Distribution of SRM46h Using LD Methodology (wet dispersion) [4] 

Particle Size 

(μm) 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 12.0 16.0 24.0 32.0 48.0 64.0 96.0 128.0

Mean Cumulative 

Volume Fraction 

(%) 

6.7 10.6 14.0 19.6 24.1 31.1 37.2 47.9 57.1 71.4 81.3 92.5 97.4 99.9 100.0
0

20

40

60

80

100

1 1.5 2 3 4 6 8 12 16 24 32 48 64 96 128

Size [μm]

Cumulative [%] 

SRM 46h

Figure 1. Graphical depiction of the particle size distribution of SRM 46h using LD (wet dispersion) [4]. 

REFERENCES 

[1] Taylor, B.N.; Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI); NIST Special Publication 811; U.S. 

 Government Printing Office: Washington, DC (1995). 

[2] Ferraris, C.F.; Avilés A.I.; Guthrie W.; Haupt, R.; Certification of SRM 114q; Phase I, NIST SP260-161, 

 National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce: Gaithersburg, MD (2005). 

[3] Ferraris C.F.; Guthrie W.; Ivelisse Avilés A.; Peltz M.; Haupt R.; MacDonald B. S.; Certification of SRM 

 114q; Part II (Particle Size distribution); NIST SP260-166, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 

 U.S. Department of Commerce: Gaithersburg, MD (2006) 

[4] Ferraris C.F.; Guthrie W.; Peltz M.; Haupt R.; Certification of SRM 46h; NIST SP260-169, National Institute 

 of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce: Gaithersburg, MD (2008) 

Users of this SRM should ensure that the certificate in their possession is current. This can be accomplished by 

contacting the SRM Program at: telephone (301) 975-6776; fax (301) 926-4751; e-mail srminfo@nist.gov; or via 

the Internet at http://www.nist.gov/srm. 

SRM 46h Page 4 of 4 

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