Teledyne Hastings Instruments Blog

Did you know? Even if your flow controller does not have the color touchscreen display, the 300 Vue flow line still allows you to switch between analog & digital control by using the zero button. (See the diagram below). You can also toggle between RS232 & RS485. This is a convenient feature when users want to switch their setup. Instructions can be found in the manual (pg. 14).

And, of course, we have our free Windows™ software. With the software, you can quickly configure and control your 300 Vue. And you can also record flow data and store to a file If you would like us to send a secure transfer download link for the free software, click here: https://www.teledyne-hi.com/resource-center/software

Using thermal mass flow instruments by Teledyne Hastings is an easy way to quickly and accurately measure gas flow. And in some cases, a mass flow instrument may be calibrated for one gas, but then the user may want to use the instrument in another gas. In this blog, we will show how to use GCFs (Gas Conversion Factors) when using flow instruments in different gases.

Before we get into GCFs, let’s quickly review the operation of one of our flow sensors. Below, we show a diagram of the 200 Series flow sensor. In this sensor, gas flows through a capillary tube which is heated in the middle to a temperature which is approximately 130°C. Two thermocouples, one upstream (TC-1) and one downstream (TC-2), measure the temperature. The temperature difference between the two thermocouples is proportional to the heat flow through the capillary tube. The heat flow, in turn, is proportional to the mass flow times the specific heat Cp of the gas. So, to first order, if we want to use a thermal mass flow meter that has been set up for one gas, and use it with another gas, we will multiply the output of the meter by the ratio of the specific heats. GCF ~ Cp1 / Cp2

There are a couple of things we need to point out. First, the ratio shown above is a simple approximation and does not tell the whole story. Next, the best GCFs are those that have been measured experimentally. However, in the case of dangerous gases, we use the best thermodynamic data available.

Here is a table of some common GCFs.

Next, we will discuss how we apply GCFs in practice. Let’s take an example of a flow meter that is calibrated for nitrogen. If we wanted to use the flowmeter in argon, we would take the output and multiply by the GCF for Argon.

Here is another example; suppose we have a meter that is calibrated in helium and we want to use it in hydrogen. You would start by dividing the output by the GCF for helium (think of it as converting to the nitrogen equivalent), and then multiplying by the GCF for hydrogen.

Remember, always use the appropriate set of GCFs for the flow series that you are using. In other words, if you are using our Digital 300 Series, don’t apply GCFs from a 200 Series manual – they are not the same. And certainly don’t use non-Teledyne table of GCFs for use with Teledyne flow products. They might get you in the ballpark, but they will not be your best conversion.

One other quick note about applying GCFs. Our line of flow power supplies, the THCD-101 (single channel) and the THCD-401 (four channel), can be used to quickly scale the analog input which is equivalent to applying a conversion factor. Let’s take another look at the Argon example. If we used the THCD-101 power supply with the nitrogen flow meter as shown below, at the nominal full scale of the flow meter, we will have a 5 VDC signal. If we want to use this same meter and power supply with Argon, we just need to “tell” the THCD-101 what value to display when it receives 5 VDC. So, if our flow meter was calibrated for nitrogen to give 5 VDC at 250 sccm, then the same flow meter will give 5 VDC in argon at 350 sccm. (250 * 1.4 = 350). So, we would then range the THCD-101 for 350 sccm. This can be done from the front panel or via the internal webserver.   

Now let’s make things a little more interesting and discuss a flow controller example. Analog flow controllers work by receiving a command signal (usually 0-5 VDC, or 4-20 mA) and then they adjust their control valve such that the flow, and thus the analog signal output, matches the command signal input. (You can think of it like the cruise control in your car – you tell it you want to go 78 miles per hour, and then the engine does what it needs to do to maintain that speed). In the case of a 0-5 VDC flow controller, a 5-volt setpoint command is instructing the flow controller to set the flow to 100% of full scale. The relationship between flow rate and command signal is linear, so if the user wanted to control at 25% of full scale, then they would send a 1.25 VDC command signal (0.25 * 5 VDC = 1.25 VDC).

Now, suppose we had an HFC-202 flow controller (200 Series) that was calibrated for 200 sccm of methane and we wanted to use it to control the flow of argon. What voltage level would we need on the command signal to have a flow rate of 100 sccm of argon? Let’s first determine the full-scale flow rate (5 VDC) when using argon:

Flow (Ar) = Flow (CH4)/GCF (CH4) * GCF (Ar) = (200 sccm / 0.77) * 1.401 = 363.9

So, a 5 VDC command signal will give us 363.9 sccm of argon. If we want 100 sccm, we would send:

Command Voltage = 100 sccm (5 VDC / 363.9 sccm) = 1.374 VDC.

Now, one important note about using flow controllers in different gases. Just because we can apply GCFs does not mean that a flow controller’s valve will work properly when switching from one gas to another. As an extreme example, a flow controller valve that has an orifice sized to handle hydrogen will have a hard time handling significant flows of large polyatomic molecules like C2H6.

Teledyne flow products are easy to install and use. And our application engineers are standing by to help. We can be reached by email (hastings_instruments@teledyne.com), by phone 757-723-6531, or via LiveChat on our website www.teledyne-hi.com or by clicking the contact us button below.

Over the next several blogs, we will be discussing various industrial gases. While some of these (carbon dioxide, argon, methane, and hydrogen) may be very familiar to our readers, other gases may not be as well known. In this blog, we will take a look at sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), a gas that is one of the most important today in the utility industry.

SF₆ is an interesting gas primarily because of its electrical properties. Certain neutral gas molecules can easily capture free electrons and form stable negative ions. The efficiency of negative ion formation in a gas is determined by its electron affinity. SF₆ , it turns out, has a very high electron affinity and therefore has excellent electrical insulating strength. So, in an electrical discharge inside a volume containing SF₆ gas, the free electrons generated by the discharge are captured by neutral SF₆ to form negative ions. These large negative ions are not able to travel quickly and so the discharge is usually quickly extinguished. One other note about SF₆, the insulating property of the gas improves with increasing pressure. SF₆ is colorless, odorless, non-toxic, and non-flammable. As you can see, these properties make it very useful to the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. 80% of the world’s SF₆ gas is used by electrical utilities in circuit breakers, transformers, and gas insulted switches.

SF₆ is arranged in a hexagonal structure. Each of the six fluorine atoms shares two its electrons with the outer shell of the sulfur atom in the middle. This structure gives SF₆ its stability over a broad range of temperatures; the gas is thermally stable up to 500°C.

SF₆ is often used in high voltage breakers. One example is the so-called dead tank breaker. In a dead tank breaker, the tank is electrically tied to earth/ground. In the live tank version, the tank is floating at a higher voltage.

The “make/break” mechanism of the breaker is shown in the diagram below. As noted above, the insulating properties of SF₆ are improved with increasing pressure. So one of the jobs of the breaker’s piston actuation is to compress the SF₆ gas and force it to flow into the arc region. As the contacts are moved apart, current will try to continue to flow as an arc. Any resulting arc is quickly extinguished by the pressurized SF₆ flowing into the region. Incidentally, during breaker manufacturing, vacuum gauges from Teledyne Hastings are used to measure vacuum levels inside the vessel during pump down as the air is removed. After evacuation, the region can be filled with SF₆.  

OK, one last note about SF₆ to conclude this blog and this falls under the category of “Don’t Try This at Home.” Just like Helium will make your voice sound higher if inhaled, SF₆ will make your voice sound lower. You can find many demonstrations of this on YouTube. The most famous example is probably the demonstration on “The Big Bang Theory.” However, SF₆ is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases and its release into the atmosphere should be minimized.

Teledyne Hastings builds both vacuum and flow instrumentation which can easily work with SF₆. Note that SF₆ has a very high thermal conductivity. Conceptually, this makes sense because the gas molecule has many degrees of freedom – translational, rotational, and vibrational.  The GCF (gas conversion factor) for SF₆ use with the 300 Vue line of flow controllers is 0.27. In other words, if you wanted to use a 300 Vue mass flow meter that had been set up for nitrogen, you would need to multiply the output by the 0.27 GCF. The good news for you is that with the 300 Vue, you can just select the gas from the front panel as shown in the photo below. Just keep in mind that if you wanted to do this, the required pressures for the valve are going to be different. You will likely need a higher pressure drop. But as always, our application engineers can be reached by email, phone, or Live Chat on our website: www.teledyne-hi.com

Several months ago, I saw an interesting article about a cool museum called the Neon Museum which is located in Las Vegas.

https://www.neonmuseum.org/

According to the museum’s website, “the Neon Museum is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment.” The museum holds over 250 neon signs. Tours are given both day and, of course, at night. The main collection in the “Bone Yard” includes signage from Caesar’s Palace, The Stardust Resort and Casino, and the recently added giant guitar from the now closed Hard Rock Café.

Some of the pieces are still operational and “live” shows are given nightly. Other signs are dormant and are lit up by flood lights.

(Photos Courtesy of the Neon Museum, Las Vegas, NV)

Production of neon light tubes requires vacuum pumps and, of course, reliable vacuum measurement. Typically, glass tubes are bent into shape and then pumped to around 1 Torr and energized using a glow discharge to clean up the tube. Next, the tube is evacuated to the mTorr region. Different gases are then backfilled to a few Torr which, when excited in a glow discharge, create various colors. Neon gives the classic neon red/orange glow while carbon dioxide produces white, helium gives yellow, and mercury can be blended with neon to produce blues. In some cases, coatings on the internal surface of the glass can be used to create additional colors. When using coatings, mercury is included in the gas to ensure that UV photons are created to activate the fluorescent coating.

A nice tutorial of glow discharge characteristics with some history is given starting on page 14 in the February 2020 issue of Vacuum Technology & Coating magazine.  https://digital.vtcmag.com/12727/26337/index.html

The new HVG-2020B from Teledyne Hastings is a great vacuum gauge for this application. The gauge uses two vacuum sensors: a piezoresistive sensor to measure pressures from atmosphere to 10 Torr and a thermal Pirani sensor to measure from 1 Torr to 0.1 mTorr. In between 1 and 10 Torr, the gauge uses a weighted average to ensure a smooth transition between the two sensors. The piezoresistive sensor is gas species independent, so no matter what gas is being backfilled, the piezoresistive sensor gives an accurate measurement. The Pirani sensor’s response is affected by the gas species, but the user can select a gas and the correction is made.

So, the next time you see a neon light, you can think about the vacuum gauge that was probably used to manufacture the gas tube. And if you’re ever in Vegas, check out the Neon Museum!

For more information about any of our vacuum gauges or our complete line of mass flow meters and controllers, we are here to help. You can contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com , Live Chat on our website www.teledyne-hi.com , or call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468). And to learn more about the HVG-2020B Vacuum Gauge, click the link below, “5 Reasons you need the HVG-2020B Vacuum Gauge.”

Recently, I learned that certain smartphones contain an actual pressure transducer. I shared this info with a friend who insisted that the phone was not really measuring pressure, but was instead using the internet to download the pressure based on the phone’s location. Now, I had to prove them wrong.

So, I did what I thought was the obvious proof… I placed my phone in a small test chamber (i.e. a bell jar as shown in the photo below), and then pumped the system down to show that the readings were, in fact, generated locally. I captured this all on video - see below.  Note: It was hard to get a good image of the phone inside because of the protective cage surrounding the glass bell jar.

I used a free barometer app to get the pressure readings. In addition to a dial type readout, the app gives a nice trend line (pressure vs. time). Also, the app allows the user to adjust the time scale. During a recent flight, I used the app to record changes in cabin pressure. (My ears are also painfully good at detecting swings in cabin pressure!)

Now, you may be wondering why a smartphone would include a vacuum/pressure transducer. In addition to using the changing barometric pressure as an indication of weather, the pressure transducer readings can be used to provide the user’s altitude when hiking, cycling, or climbing. The formula to convert pressure to altitude at low altitudes is fairly linear. 

So, it is true that you may be able to use your smartphone to measure vacuum in your system. However, we would like to suggest an easier way… check out our new HVG-2020A (“2020 Vision”) vacuum gauge. This gauge measures from just above atmospheric pressure (1000 Torr) to below 1 Torr with an accuracy of ±(0.1% of Reading + 0.5 Torr).

The gauge features an optional color touchscreen display which has several different modes including pressure vs. time. It provides analog output (0-5 VDC, 0-10 VDC, 4-20 mA,…) as well as digital output (RS232, RS485, USB) and with our FREE Windows™ software, it is super easy to collect and store data.

For more information about any of our vacuum gauges or our complete line of mass flow meters and controllers, we are here to help. You can contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com  or call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468) or click the button below.

This year, 2019, marks the 75^th anniversary of Hastings Instruments and we will be celebrating all year long by discussing some of our past while focusing on our future. This month, I’d like to tell you a little about our glass shop.

In 1966, Hastings-Raydist purchased the Robert H. Work Company. Work had been a supplier of glass parts for Hastings. The company was then moved into the Hastings plant. At the new location, glass workers began to produce scientific glassware under the Hastings label. Product catalogs in the late 60s and early 70s included McLeod vacuum gauges, calibrated gas leaks, and Pyrex vacuum gauge tubes.

Today, we still use our glass shop to build the Hastings Reference Tube. A reference tube is an evacuated, sealed vacuum gauge tube accurately marked at a specific pressure. It is electrically equivalent to our most popular vacuum gauge tube families.

A reference tube can be used with several of our thermal vacuum gauge instruments including the HPM-4/5/6, the VT and CVT, the DVT and DCVT, and even the DAVC controller. 

How is it used? Simple, you just plug in your reference tube and compare the reading from your instrument with the number that is shown on the reference tube label. 

So the reference tube tells you that your electronics and cabling are working correctly. Note that a reference tube will not directly tell you anything about the state of your gauge tube. But through process of elimination, you can often determine that the gauge tube needs to be replaced. You can learn more about troubleshooting thermocouple vacuum gauges here:

 https://info.teledyne-hi.com/thermocouple-vacuum-gauges-best-practices-webinar-recording?

As noted in the table above, the reference tubes, like the gauge tubes, are color-coded. And reference tubes can be sent back to us to be recertified which many folks do on an annual basis.

Next, let’s discuss a little about what is going on inside of a reference tube. Sometimes people will ask if we adjust the pressure inside the tube to allow it to read a certain value – we do not. In other words, if you could measure the pressure in the sealed-off tube, it would not be the pressure reading that is stated on the side of the reference tube. While a reference tube does have the same thermopile sensor arrangement, it is simply trimmed to give a particular reading when powered by the correct heater voltage.

We are proud of our long history of quality craftwork, not only in the glass shop, but throughout all of our vacuum and thermal mass flow product lines here at Teledyne Hastings. The same tradition of quality goes into our newest products including the 300 Vue line of mass flow controllers and the HVG-2020 Vision line of vacuum gauges. You can learn more about our products by visiting www.teledyne-hastings.com

In this short blog, we are going to look at one of our mass flow controller calibration reports and discuss some of the terms that you will see. There is good information at the bottom of these reports, so let’s jump in and take a closer look…

At the bottom of every one of our calibration data sheets, you will see the following statement:

This calibration complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 and ISO 17025-2005 [non-accredited] and is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This validation was accomplished by qualified personnel directed by controlled procedures. The accuracy of this calibration for any gas other than the actual gas used may be subject to theoretical corrections. Customer Service can be contacted weekdays 8AM-5PM EDT at 1-800-950-2468.

Let’s start with part of the first sentence, “This calibration complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 and ISO 17025-2005 [non-accredited]…”  According to the NCSLI webpage , there are two national standards for calibration laboratories. These are Z540-1 and ISO 17025. There are some differences between the two standards. And the aforementioned NCSLI gives a detailed description of both. In short, 17025 is appropriate for both calibration and testing labs whereas Z540-1 addresses calibration labs only. 17025 requires that the laboratory be a legal entity that can demonstrate competency, which includes thorough analysis of the uncertainty associated with the calibration services. Another difference between the two standards is that 17025 places the responsibility of the calibration due date on the end-user. In other words, the calibration lab should not determine the customers calibration cycle. That is why you no longer see calibration due dates on Teledyne Hastings’ labeling.

OK…. if 17025 is the latest, greatest, and accepted around the world, why do we still even list Z540-1 on our calibration reports? Because, we still have customers who adhere to Z540-1 and need the statement on their paperwork.

What about the word “non-accredited” that appears in parentheses? While we strive to conform to ISO 17025, which includes rigorous internal audit review, it has been our position that as a manufacturer, it is not necessary / appropriate for us to invest in the accreditation activities and third party audits. However, we do recognize the depth and critical nature of the standard.  Because of those criteria, we have chosen to compose our procedures and train our personnel to be in compliance with the standard. So to be clear, Teledyne Hastings is not accredited to ISO 17025.

Let’s move on… what do we mean by, “…traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology”? Simply this, we can provide an unbroken chain of calibration documents that connect your calibration back to NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Now here is a trick question… does a NIST traceable calibration tell us anything about the uncertainty of the calibration? The answer is, “no”. For example, we could calibrate one of our most advanced mass flow controllers, the HFC-D-302B 300 Vue which has a stated uncertainty of ± (0.5% of Reading + 0.2% of Full Scale).

– or we could calibrate our HFC-202 flow controller (±1% of full scale using the same metrology and the stated uncertainty for each instrument would be the same as before. In other words, the performance of these instruments does not improve just because a NIST traceable standard was used.

One more note, some customers request “Backup Documentation” to their calibration data reports. In other words, they want copies of the calibration reports of our metrology that form the unbroken link from their calibration back to NIST.  There is a nominal administrative fee to collect, scan, compile, and email these calibration reports for each individual piece of metrology that was used.

Does everybody need the Backup Documentation? Usually not, but enough customers request these so it is a service that we offer.  Quite often the reason why our first tier customer will request the additional supporting calibration reports is because they are manufacturing complex assemblies that their higher tier customers are procuring with the aforementioned unbroken chain back to NIST as a purchase order flow down requirement.

Next, we have the sentence, “This validation was accomplished by qualified personnel directed by controlled procedures” This gives us an opportunity to tell a little about our ISO 9001:2015 Quality System. As a key part of our system, all assembly and calibration personnel must complete rigorous training and demonstrate proficiency before working on either the Flow Products or Vacuum Products Teams. Also, every product or subassembly acceptance test, that has a measurable output, is controlled by a top tier Quality System Procedure. The procedures, training program, in fact the entire Quality System is subject to routine internal audit program, third party surveillance audits, and third party ISO 9001:2015 certification audits.

Now what about the statement, “The accuracy of this calibration for any gas other than the actual gas used may be subject to theoretical corrections”?  There are certain gases which are hazardous and/or corrosive. While our flow meters and controllers are quite suitable for use in many of these gases, there are several of the gases that we have never (and will never) allow into our facility. So, we use theoretical corrections to map the output of our flow products using the calibration gas to the output for the user’s gas.

We are very proud of our metrology and quality programs. And we welcome your questions. If you have a question about mass flow controllers, vacuum gauges, or just want more information about a Calibration Report, we are here to help. You can contact us at hastings_instruments@teledyne.com  or call 757-723-6531 (800-950-2468).

Teledyne Hastings is working to expand our throughput so that we can better serve our customers by meeting increased demand while decreasing lead times. Over the last several months, we have added and improved calibration systems in both our vacuum and flow production areas. We have also purchased a new vacuum furnace which increases our production capacity. In this blog, we will describe what a vacuum furnace is, how it functions, and how we use it.

A picture of our newest vacuum furnace is shown below.  The three major components of the vacuum furnace, from left to right, are the high-speed diffusion pump, the vacuum chamber with a high temperature hot zone, and the control cabinet. The diffusion pump is capable of pumping 180,000 lpm.  While the pumping speed may seem unnecessarily high for the given volume, keep in mind that the gas load, at high temperature, can be very high. The diffusion pump is connected to the hot zone chamber via a large right angle vacuum valve. The diffusion pump is backed by a rotary vane vacuum pump. Pressures in the foreline can be monitored by using a Teledyne DV-6R vacuum gauge tube. The base pressure of the system, with the heat zone at room temperature approaches 1 x 10^-6 Torr.

 Leon Whitehead at the controls of the new vacuum furnace.

The hot zone is the heart of the vacuum furnace. A picture showing the inside of the hot zone is shown below. The effective hot zone size is 12”w x 12” h x 24” d. The molybdenum rod elements inside the hot zone are resistively heated once the system has reached sufficient vacuum. Under vacuum, the hot zone can reach temperatures exceeding 1300°C (2372°F).

Inside the hot zone. Note the series of Molybdenum rod elements.

The vacuum furnace is controlled by a touchscreen panel with PLC. The operator can select and execute a pre-programmed temperature/time profile for a given task. In addition, pressure and temperature at various locations on the system are monitored and displayed. The control cabinet also includes the transformers, contactors, and fuses. 

Teledyne uses our vacuum furnaces for both fusing and brazing operations - all while precisely controlling the environmental conditions within the hot zone. In a typical schedule, the system is pumped out to its base pressure and then the hot zone is brought up to 800°C. After reaching this temperature, the hot zone is held for a period of 20 minutes. Next, the hot zone is slowly ramped to 1100°C, which takes about an hour. The hot zone is then held there for up to 1 ½ hours.

Teledyne Hastings Instruments is an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer and we produce a complete line of instruments for precise measurement and control of vacuum, pressure, and gas flow. Our vacuum furnaces and the corresponding Quality Work Instructions deliver consistent results, which in turn provide our customers with high quality instrumentation. For information on Teledyne Hastings and our Mass Flow Meters and Controllers or Vacuum Gauges, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below.

Teledyne Hastings designs and build mass flow controllers for a broad array of markets from clean laboratory environments to heavy industrial installations. Recently, we have been asked to provide our newest line of Digital 300 Flow Meters and Controllers into more demanding environments. And, we are proud to offer an optional IP-67 enclosure, which provides protection against dust and water. More on our product later in the blog.

But first, let’s explore the IP, or Ingress Protection, rating system.  NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) publishes a standard (ANSI/IEC 60529-2004) entitled, “Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Code)”. The corresponding international standard is IEC 60529. The introduction to the IP Code starts:

This standard describes a system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by enclosures of electrical equipment for two conditions: 1) the protection of persons against access to hazardous parts and protection of equipment against the ingress of solid foreign objects and 2) the ingress of water.

The IP Code rates the degree of protection by using two numbers. The first number describes protection against solid particles; the second number describes protection against liquids. The Wikipedia page describing the IP Code provides a couple of nice tables to help us quickly understand the numbers.

Which now brings us back to the Teledyne IP-67 rated enclosure. The first number, “6”, indicates that our enclosure is completely protected against dust. The second number, “7”, indicates that our instrument can withstand submersion in water up to a meter in depth for up to 30 minutes.

One side note about IP ratings, if you follow the battle between Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone, you may have seen an article published by CNET last September (2017). In the article, it was stated that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are certified with an IP67 rating, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 is rated IP68. And by the way, yes… according to Reddit, the whole putting the wet iPhone in rice thing to dry it out, does work.  

In order to claim the IP-67 rating, Teledyne Hastings has sent test instruments to NCEE Labs in Lincoln Nebraska. In general, there are two tests, one for dust and one for water. Aaron Steggs, Senior Test Engineer with NCEE explains, “The testing to receive the dust rating is not trivial. There is a vacuum test on the enclosure to ensure that no ingress of dust can occur. The vacuum pressure used is 2kPa.”

Aaron goes on to explain a little about the water test, “When talking about immersion testing, there is a greater chance of water being forced into any opening due to the weight of the water about the instrument under test.”

In any case, we have passed both the dust and water test and now you can have the accuracy and fast response of the Digital 300 Series in an IP rated enclosure.

For more info about our digital 200 mass flow meters and controllers, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below for more inforamation on the IP-67 version now available.

February is the month when citizens in the United States celebrate the history and culture of African-Americans. In early Feburary, scientists from the Pressure & Vacuum Group at NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology) installed a special case designed to hold President Abraham Lincoln’s first handwritten draft of the Emancipation Proclamation and 13^th Amendment in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. You can watch a video of the installation here:

https://www.nist.gov/video/nist-behind-scenes-installation-emancipation-proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate States in 1863. After the Proclamation, the American Civil War becomes more about the struggle for freedom. In turn, Emancipation becomes law for the entire United States via the 13^th Amendment to the US Constitution.

The priceless handwritten draft is now stored in in a sealed case with monitoring instrumentation. According to an article posted on the NIST website (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/04/making-airtight-case-freedom ), the system tracks pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen content. The NIST article also says that the system uses 4% oxygen to help maintain the color of the iron gall ink.

Now, another interesting thing we can celebrate about the Emancipation Proclamation is the famous Emancipation Oak. Located on the campus of Hampton University, in Hampton Virginia. Note that Hampton is also the home of Teledyne Hastings. The Emancipation Oak was the site of the first reading of the Proclamation in the South according to the Hampton University Website (http://www.hamptonu.edu/about/emancipation_oak.cfm ). The tree has a diameter of over 100 feet and the oak has been designated as one of the 10 Great Trees of the World by the National Geographic Society.

For information on Teledyne Hastings and our Mass Flow Meters and Controllers or Vacuum Gauges, please visit www.teledyne-hi.com or click the button below