Iso 20486-2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 20486
First edition
2017-12
Non-destructive testing — Leak

testing — Calibration of reference
leaks for gases
Essais non destructifs — Contrôle d'étanchéité — Étalonnage des
fuites de référence des gaz
Reference number
ISO 20486:2017(E)
© ISO 2017
Provided by IHS Markit under license with ANSI
ISO 20486:2017(E)
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ii
© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved
ISO 20486:2017(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... v
1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
3 Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
4 Nominal leakage rates .................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5 Classification o f leaks ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.1 Permeation leak ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.2 Conductance leaks ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.2.1 Capillary leak ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.2.2 Aperture leak (orifice) ................................................................................................................................................ 4
5.2.3 Compressed powder leak ......................................................................................................................................... 4
6 Calibration by comparison ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
6.1 Methods A, As, B and B s .................................................................................................................................................................... 4
6.2 Applicability o f comparison methods ................................................................................................................................. 4
6.3 Preparation of leaks and apparatus ...................................................................................................................................... 5
6.3.1 Leak detector ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
6.3.2 Connection to the leak detector .......................................................................................................................... 5
6.3.3 Temperature accommodation .............................................................................................................................. 7
6.4 Measurement............................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
6.4.1 Set-up ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
6.4.2 General measurement sequence ........................................................................................................................ 7
6.5 Evaluation for methods A, As, B and B s (Comparison) ......................................................................................... 8
6.5.1 Determination of leakage rate .............................................................................................................................. 8
6.5.2 Influence factors to measurement uncertainty ..................................................................................... 9
7 Volumetric calibration................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
7.1 Direct flow (Method C) .................................................................................................................................................................. 10
7.1.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7.1.2 Equipment .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7.1.3 Preparation of leaks and apparatus ............................................................................................................. 10
7.1.4 Measurement ................................................................................................................................................................... 11
7.1.5 Evaluation for Method C (direct flow measurement) ................................................................... 13
7.2 Leak measurement under water (Method D) ............................................................................................................ 14
7.2.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
7.2.2 Equipment .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
7.2.4 Measurement ................................................................................................................................................................... 15
7.2.5 Evaluation for Method D ........................................................................................................................................ 16
7.2.6 Influence factors to measurement uncertainty .................................................................................. 17
7.3 Calibration by (volumetric) gas meter (Method E) .............................................................................................. 17
7.3.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
7.3.2 Equipment .......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
7.3.4 Measurement ................................................................................................................................................................... 18
7.3.5 Evaluation for Method E (gas meter) .......................................................................................................... 18
7.4 Calibration by pressure change in a known volume (Method F) .............................................................. 19
7.4.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
7.4.3 Measurement ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
7.4.4 Special situation in vacuum chambers ...................................................................................................... 23
7.4.5 Evaluation for Method F (pressure change) .......................................................................................... 25

iii
ISO 20486:2017(E)
7.5 C alib ratio n by vo lume change at co ns tant p res s ure (M etho d G) ............................................................. 26
7.5.1 Equipment .......................................................................................................................................................................... 26
7.5.3 Measurement ................................................................................................................................................................... 26
7.5.4 Evaluation for Method G (volume change at constant pressure) ........................................ 27
8 G e n e ra l i n fl u........................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
e n c e s
9 Report ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
10 Labelling of reference leaks ................................................................................................................................................................... 29
11 Handling of reference leaks ................................................................................................................................................................... 29
11.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
1 1 .2 Permeatio n leaks (no rmally with res ervo ir fitted the leak o utlet) ......................................................... 29
1 1 .3 C o nductance leaks (no rmally witho ut res ervo ir) .................................................................................................. 29
Annex A (informative) Calculation of leakage rate decrease due to tracer gas depletion in
the reservoir .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
iv
ISO 20486:2017(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work o f preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters o f
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
di fferent types o f ISO documents should be noted. This document was dra fted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some o f the elements o f this document may be the subject o f
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URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 135, Non-destructive testing,
Subcommittee SC 6, Leak testing.

v
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 20486:2017(E)
Non-destructive testing — Leak testing — Calibration of

reference leaks for gases
1 Scope
This document specifies the calibration o f those leaks that are used for the adjustment o f leak detectors
for the determination o f leakage rate in everyday use. One type o f calibration method is a comparison
with a re ference leak. In this way, the leaks used for routine use become traceable to a primary standard.
In other calibration methods, the value o f vapour pressure was measured directly or calculated over a
known volume.
The comparison procedures are pre ferably applicable to helium leaks, because this test gas can be
selectively measured by a mass spectrometer leak detector (MSLD) (the definition o f MSLD is given in
ISO 20484).
Calibration by comparison (see methods A, A s , B and B s below) with known reference leaks is easily
possible for leaks with reservoir and leakage rates below 10 −7 Pa·m3/s.
Figure 1 gives an overview of the different recommended calibration methods.
a) Calibration by comparison
© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 1

ISO 20486:2017(E)
b) Calibration by direct measurement

Key
X leakage rate in Pa·m3 /s C Method C
A Method A D Method D
B Method B E Method E
As Method As F Method F
Bs Method B s G Method G
normal range possible range
Figure 1 — Calibration ranges
2 Normative references
T he fol lowi ng do c u ments are re ferre d to i n the te xt i n s uch a way that s ome or a l l o f thei r content
con s titute s re qu i rements o f th i s do c u ment. For date d re ference s , on ly the e d ition c ite d appl ie s . For
undate d re ference s , the l ate s t e d ition o f the re ference d do c u ment (i nclud i ng a ny amend ments) appl ie s .
ISO 20484, Non-destructive testing — Leak testing — Vocabulary

3 Terms and definitions
ISO 20484
For the purp o s e s o f th i s do c ument, the term s and defi n itions given i n f and the ol lowi ng apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
2 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

ISO 20486:2017(E)
3.1
unknown leak
leak having a stable and repeatable leakage rate of known order of magnitude that can be determined
b y c a l ibration
3.2
reference leak
c a l ibrate d le a k wh ich may b e u s e d to c a l ibrate a no ther le a k
N o te 1 to entr y: T he u ncer ta i nty o f the re ference le a k i s lower th a n the re qu i re d u ncer ta i nty o f the le a k to b e
calibrated.
3.3
calibration
s e t o f op eration s wh ich e s tabl i sh , under s p e ci fie d cond ition s , the rel ation sh ip b e twe en le a kage rate
va lue s repre s ente d b y an u n known le a k and the corre s p ond i ng known va lue s o f the le a kage rate
N o te 1 to entr y: I n the c a s e o f c a l ibratio n b y comp a ri s on , the known va lue s o f the le a kage rate a re repre s ente d b y
a reference leak.
N o te 2 to entr y: N o r m a l l y, the re s u lt o f a c a l ib ration i s gi ven a s the le a kage rate va lue for the re ference le a k with
a s ta nd a rd u ncer ta i nty.
3.4
nominal leakage rate
le a kage rate o f a le a k c a lc u late d for s p e ci fie d re ference cond ition s
N o te 1 to entr y: I n le a k de te c tion , le a kage rate s a re co m mo n l y gi ven i n u n its o f pV-th ro ughput ( P a· m 3/s, mbar l/s,
Std cm3 /m i n) . T he s e a re o n l y a pre c i s e me a s u re o f ga s flow i f the temp eratu re i s given a nd kep t con s ta nt. F low
u n its s uch a s m a s s flow ( g/y) or mol a r flow (mol/s) a re s ome ti me s u s e d to o verco me th i s pro b lem .
4 Nominal leakage rates

C a l ibrate d le a ks are on ly comp arab le u nder the s ame re ference cond ition s . Nom i na l le a kage rate s sh a l l
be used for comparison. Recommended reference conditions are:

— Ambient temperature: 20 °C
— Atmospheric exhaust pressure: 1 000 mbar
— Vacuum exhaust pressure: < 100 mbar
T he re ference i n le t pre s s u re i s given b y the le a k re s er voi r pre s s ure or the appl ic ation re qu i rement.
5 C l a s s i fi c a ti o n o f l e a ks
5.1 Permeation leak

T h i s typ e o f le a k i s norma l ly made with a tracer gas re s er voi r. I t ha s the b e s t long-term s tabi l ity but an
appre c iable temp eratu re co e fficient (approxi mately 3 , 5 %/K ) . Typic a l le a kage rate s are i n the range
from 10 Pa·m3/s to 10 Pa·m3/s.

−1 0 −4
5.2 Conductance leaks

5.2.1 Capillary leak
T h i s typ e o f le a k i s ava i l able with or without a tracer gas re s er voi r. I t ha s a low temp erature co e ffic ient
(approxi mately 0 , 3 %/K ) but e as i ly blo cks i f no t ha nd le d with c a re . Typic a l le a kage rate s a re gre ater
than 10 Pa·m3/s. −7

ISO 20486:2017(E)
5 . 2 . 2 A p e r tu r e l e a k ( o r i fi c e )
Orifices are seldom used as re ference leaks in practice, as they are di fficult to manu facture and even
more prone to blocking than capillaries.
NOTE Critical flow orifices are a form o f aperture leak that is commonly found in industry, but are out o f the
scope of this document.
5.2.3 Compressed powder leak
This type o f leak uses metal powder compressed into a tube. They are usually o ffered without reservoir.
They are used for routine check o f the sensitivity o f leak detectors but they are not stable enough to be
used as calibrated leaks. Their suitability depends on how well controlled the storage and operating
conditions are, and on the required uncertainty.
6 Calibration by comparison
6.1 Methods A, As , B and B s

There are two ways o f calibrating leaks by comparison with known re ference leaks. Both methods
require the knowledge of the order of magnitude of the leakage rate to be measured. The methods
differ in using one or two reference leaks, resulting in different uncertainties of measurement. In the
following, the two methods are designated as A and B:
— Method A: Comparison to one reference leak normally with a leakage rate of the same order of
magnitude, calibration with vacuum method.
— Method As: Comparison to one reference leak normally with a leakage rate o f the same order of
magnitude, calibration with sni ffing method.
— Method B: Comparison to two reference leaks with leakage rates normally lying on either side of the
unknown leakage rate, calibration with vacuum method.
— Method B s: Comparison to two reference leaks with leakage rates normally lying on either side of
the unknown leakage rate. Calibration with sni ffing method.
Method A is most suitable for use on site as only one re ference leak is used. It is generally applicable
but is most reliable when the leakage rate of the unknown is close to that of the reference leak. This is
because the measurement uncertainty is directly dependent on the linearity o f the leak detector in use.
As the linearity error cannot be measured independently, it needs to be estimated. To keep the linearity
error small, the operating characteristics of leak detector should not change during calibration (e.g.
automatic ranging should be disabled).
For more precise calibrations, where a more reliable measure o f uncertainty is required or i f a re ference
leak with a leakage rate close to the unknown is not available Method B should be used. By the use o f
two re ference leaks, the non-linearity o f the leak detector is accounted for.
6.2 Applicability of comparison methods

Since comparison o f leaks is not a fundamental measurement method, it relies on the stability o f the
transfer device and cleanliness of the ambient gas atmosphere. Moreover, the temperature dependence
of the reference and unknown leaks shall be taken into account.
The most stable and clean conditions are achieved for leaks with exhaust into vacuum and a mass
spectrometer leak detector as trans fer device measuring the partial pressure generated by the leaks in
vacuum. Under these conditions, all interfering background gases are reduced to a minimum so that the
zero point o f the trans fer device is defined and stable.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
For leaks with exhaust into the atmosphere and measurement by sni ffing gas, more conditions shall be
controlled. These are:
— the background level of tracer gas shall be as low as possible and as stable as possible;
— the total gas flow rate o f the sni ffer shall be high enough to take up the total tracer gas flow out o f
the leak;
— the aspiration o f the sni ffer (the coupling to the leak exhaust) shall be o f suitable geometry to make
sure that the atmospheric gas flow across the leak exhaust takes up the whole tracer gas flow from
the leak opening.
As a consequence, the measurement uncertainty is appreciably higher for sni ffer leaks than for
vacuum leaks.
Methods by comparison are there fore applicable but not pre ferable for the calibration o f sni ffer leaks
(with exhaust to atmosphere).
6.3 Preparation of leaks and apparatus
6.3.1 Leak detector

The leak detector (LD) used as a transfer device shall be set up according to the manufacturer’s manual.
The warm-up time shall be at least 2 h.
6.3.2 Connection to the leak detector
The reference and unknown leaks are connected to the leak detector used as the transfer instrument.
The connection shall be kept continuously until the measurement is completed. This includes thermal
accommodation[1] .
In the case o f vacuum leaks, they are connected to the inlet flange and pumped with their valves (i f any)
open for at least 30 min to remove any tracer gas that can have accumulated in seals or valves. For the
calibration o f more than one leak, a separate pumping system and set o f valves is use ful to keep all the
leaks pumped until they are measured.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
1 transfer device (leak detector)
2 test port
3 rig
4 leaks to be calibrated and reference leak
5 ho o ds fo r thermal s tab ility
Figure 2 — Coupling of leaks to the leak detector
I n the c a s e o f s n i ffer le a ks , the con ne c tion to the le a k de te c tor s n i ffi ng tip i s made b y an adap ter wh ich
ma ke s a tight conne c tion to the le a k outle t and enable s atmo s pheric ai r to b e conti nuou s ly s ucke d
Figure 2
acro s s the le a k exh au s t via an ai r i n le t (s e e Key item 3 i n ) , s o that the whole le a k ga s flow
i s ta ken up b y the s n i ffer tip . T he ai r i n le t op en i ng s ha l l no t th ro ttle the fre e flow o f ai r to mai ntai n
atmospheric pressure in front of the sniffer tip. See Figure 3.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
1 gasket 4 test leak with leak opening
2 sniffer tip 5 adapter body with gasket
3 air inlet 6 sniffer opening with cross-wise slot
Figure 3 — Example for a coupling adapter for sniffer leaks
6.3.3 Temperature accommodation

The unknown leak and the reference leak(s) for the comparison shall be stored in the same room where
the test is to be carried out for at least 12 h to allow for temperature equilibration (an air-conditioned
room is not necessary i f there are no rapid temperature changes. Because o f temperature fluctuations,
an air-conditioning system can even increase the measurement uncertainty). Vacuum leaks,
connected to the LD shall be pumped during the phase of thermal accommodation. After temperature
accommodation, to prevent any temperature changes during measurement, thermally insulating hoods
(made of plastic foam or similar material) should be put over the leaks.
6.4 Measurement
6.4.1 Set-up
It is important to ensure that the effective pumping speed at the leak detector inlet for vacuum leaks,
respectively the sni ffer gas flow for overpressure leaks, is not changed during the measurements.
I f possible, either with the leak detector or in an auxiliary device, a long averaging time may be used to
decrease the statistical measurement uncertainty.
All the measurement instruments should be adjusted in such a way that they give nearly full-scale
deflections for the biggest leak.
6.4.2 General measurement sequence
Generally, each reading shall be obtained only a fter the signal o f the trans fer instrument has stabilized.
A su fficient number o f readings shall be taken to achieve the lowest possible statistical uncertainty.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
T h i s way, a me as u re o f s tati s tic a l devi ation c an a l s o b e fou nd . T he genera l s e quence o f me a s u rements
is as follows:
a) z ero s igna l de term i nation: all va lve s clo s e d for vac uu m le a ks , re s p e c tively s n i ffer tip in pu re
ambient ai r for s ni ffi ng le a ks;
b) conne c t re ference le a k No . 1, wa it for s te ady flow a nd me a s u re the re s u lti ng output s igna l
(Method A, As , B and B s);

c) disconnect reference leak No.1;
d) conne c t re ference le a k No . 2 , wait for s te ady flow a nd me a s u re the re s u lti ng output s igna l (on ly
Method B and B s);

e) disconnect reference leak No. 2;
f) conne c t u n known le a ks , wait for s te ady flow and me a s ure the re s u lti ng output s igna l;
g) repeat steps a) to f) at least three times.

Leak valves should be kept closed for as short a time as possible to prevent extensive helium
accumulation resulting in long equilibration time.
6.5 Evaluation for methods A, As , B and B s (Comparison)
6.5.1 Determination of leakage rate
6.5.1.1 Method A and As : Result of comparison to one reference leak

Formula (1a) is used to calculate the unknown leakage rate, Qu, from the reading, Rref, of the reference
leak with leakage rate, Qref, and the reading, Ru, of the unknown leak:
Ru
Q u = Q ref
R ref
(1a)
This formu la i s on ly va l id, i f the temp eratu re co e ffic ients a nd the temp eratu re s o f a l l le a ks are e qua l .
Otherwise, Formula (1b) shall be used:

 R u ( 1 + α ref ⋅ ∆Tref ) 
Q u = Q ref ⋅   (1b)
 R ref ( 1 + α u ⋅ ∆Tu ) 
where
Qref, Qu a re the le a kage rate s o f the re ference and u n known le a k, re s p e c tively;
Rref, Ru the re ad i ngs o f the re ference and u n known le a k, re s p e c tively;
αref, αu a re the temp eratu re co e ffic ients o f the re ference a nd un known le a k, re s p e c ti vely;
Δ Tref Tu
, Δ are the departures of the temperature of the leaks from the reference temperature of
the re ference and u n known le a k, re s p e c tively.
T he re ad i ngs c an b e i n a ny con s i s tent u n its , a s on ly ratio s are con s idere d .
NOTE 1 The readings (Rref and Ru ) a re o b ta i ne d from the le a k de te c tor d i s p l ay a s the d i fference o f the o utp ut
s ign a l s with le a k con ne c te d a nd d i s con ne c te d (re s p e c tivel y, va l ve op ene d a nd clo s e d) .
NO TE 2 T he temp eratu re co e ffic ient o f the re ference le a k i s no r m a l l y s tate d . I f the temp eratu re co e ffic ient o f
the u n known le a k i s no t given , it c a n b e a s s u me d th at it i s app roxi m atel y 3 , 5 %/K for a qu a r tz p er me atio n le a k,
a nd 0 , 3 %/ K for co nduc ta nce typ e le aks i n vi s cou s flow mo de .

ISO 20486:2017(E)
6.5.1.2 Method B and B s : Result of comparison to two reference leaks

To ke ep th i s pro ce dure prac tic a l, on ly the case o f e qua l temp erature co e fficients a nd the s a me
temperature difference between each reference leak and its calibration reference temperature is
Formula (2) holds. See Figure 4.
con s idere d . I n th i s c as e, the s i mpl i fie d
 R u − R1 
Q u = ( Q2 − Q1 )   + Q1 (2)
 R 2 − R1 
where
Q u , Q1 , Q2 are le a kage rate s o f the u n known le a k and the re ference le a ks 1 and 2 , re s p e c tively;
Ru , R 1 , R 2 are re ad i ngs for the u n known le a k and the re ference le a ks 1 and 2 , re s p e c tively.
Key
A reference leak 1
B unknown leak
C reference leak 2
R reading
Q leakage rate
NOTE Q1 is the leak with the smaller rate, Q2 the leak with the larger rate. Qu, the leakage rate of the
unknown leak to be calibrated, lies between these two known leaks.
Figure 4 — Two-point calibration of a leak
6 . 5 . 2 I n fl u e n c e fa c to r s to m e a s u re m e n t u n c e r ta i n ty
T he c a l ibration i s mai n ly i n fluence d b y the fol lowi ng fac tors:
— u ncer tai nty o f the re ference le a k(s) ;
— ambient temperature (all leaks at the same temperature level);

— l i ne a rity o f the le a k de te c tor.
T he u ncer ta i nty s ha l l b e c a lcu l ate d accord i ng to com mon gu idel i ne s (s e e [ 2]).

ISO 20486:2017(E)
7 Volumetric calibration
7 . 1 D i re c t fl o w ( M e th o d C )
7.1.1 General
This method is applicable to conductance leaks in the range of 10 −5 Pa·m3/s (~0,006 Std cm3/min) to
0,2 Pa·m3/s (~100 Std cm3/min). Leaks from 10 −6 Pa·m3/s (~0,000 6 Std cm3/min) to 10 −5 Pa·m3/s
(~0,006 Std cm3/min) can be calibrated, but with a rather large uncertainty. In that range, i f a suitable
re ference leak is available, methods A or B should be employed to give lower uncertainty.
Two types o f pressure and flow conditions shall be considered:
— flow from pressure to atmosphere (see 7.1.4.1);
— flow from atmosphere to vacuum (see 7.1.4.2).
The third possible flow condition, pressure to vacuum, cannot be measured with Method C (i f this is
required, a calibration with tracer gas according Method A or B with a suitable MSLD or a calibration
according to Method F or G needs to be made.)
7.1.2 Equipment
To calibrate a leak by measurement o f capillary flow according to Method C described in 7.1.4, a
calibrated glass tube (pre ferably with a suitable vent valve at one end, see Figures 5 and 6 ) is necessary.
An indicator fluid (normally water with some sur factant added or special oils) is used to produce the
measurement slug in the capillary.
To measure the time of slug movement, a timer or stopwatch is needed. Instruments based on the timed
movements o f a film in a tube are also available, e.g. a bubble flow meter.
As conductance leak elements normally have no tracer gas reservoir, a separate tracer gas supply is
needed or calibration may be per formed with filtered, oil free and dry atmospheric air.
7.1.3 Preparation of leaks and apparatus
7.1.3.1 Temperature accommodation

The unknown leak and the calibrated capillary shall be stored in the room where the test is to be carried
out for at least 12 h to allow for temperature equilibration (an air-conditioned room is not necessary
if there are no rapid temperature changes. Because of temperature oscillations, an air-conditioning
system can even increase the measurement uncertainty).
7.1.3.2 Connection of leak to capillary tube

The capillary tube and vent valve shall be cleaned with alcohol and purged with pressurized air
to remove any dirt from the sur faces that can disturb the free movement o f the liquid slug during
measurement. The connection between the leak and the capillary tube shall be made with a thick
elastomer connecting hose fitting tightly on both the leak outlet and the vent valve o f the capillary. The
smaller the unknown leak, the more important it is to keep all dead volumes as small as possible to
reduce measurement errors.
Pressure to atmosphere
In this case, the leak inlet is connected to the tracer gas supply and the outlet to the capillary tube. The
capillary tube is open to atmosphere at the other end (see Figure 5).

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Atmosphere to vacuum
In this case, the leak outlet is connected to a vacuum and the inlet to the capillary tube. The capillary
inlet is open to atmospheric pressure (see Figure 6).
If standard leakage rates are required, the outlet absolute pressure shall be less than 100 Pa.
7.1.4 Measurement
7.1.4.1 Pressure to atmosphere

The measurement is performed according to the following procedure:
a) maintain the gas flow through the leak to be calibrated for a minimum o f 1 h at nominal pressure.
All connectors shall be dry and clean;
b) dip the open end o f the capillary into the indicator fluid to produce a liquid slug;
c) draw this slug slowly up the capillary to the other end by carefully pumping via the vent valve (i f there
is no vent valve, disconnect the capillary, dip the tip into the indicator fluid and replace the slug);
d) close the vent valve (if present) and time the movement of the trailing edge of the slug for a
convenient distance (minimum 1,5 × expected flow rate);
e) reposition the slug (see above) and repeat steps a) to d) at least three times. The repeatability o f the
measurements should be within ±2 %.
Key
1 gas pressure from reservoir 7 atmosphere
2 unknown leak 8 indicating slug
3 optional pump connection (to initialize the slug position) 9 calibration marks
4 optional vent valve 10 connecting tubes
5 trailing edge of slug 11 zero space
6 inside diameter capillary tube
Figure 5 — Set-up for Method C measurement: pressure to atmosphere

ISO 20486:2017(E)
7.1.4.2 Atmosphere to vacuum

The measurement is performed according to the following procedure:
a) maintain the gas flow through the leak to be calibrated for a minimum o f 1 hour at nominal
pressure. All connectors shall be dry and clean;
b) dip the open end o f the capillary into the indicator fluid to produce a liquid slug;
c) close the vent valve and time the movement of the leading edge of the slug over a convenient
distance (minimum 1,5 × expected flow rate).
d) reposition the liquid slug to the end o f the capillary again, using gas pressure via the vent valve;
e) repeat steps a) to d) at least three times. The repeatability o f the measurements should be
within ±2 %.
Key
1 vacuum 7 atmosphere
2 unknown leak 8 indicating slug
3 gas fill connection 9 calibration marks
4 filling valve 10 connecting tubes
5 leading edge of slug 11 zero space
6 inside diameter capillary tube
Figure 6 — Set-up for Method C measurement: atmosphere to vacuum

ISO 20486:2017(E)
7 . 1 . 5 E va l u a ti o n f
o r M e th o d C ( d i r e c t fl o w m e a s u re m e n t)
7.1.5.1 Determination of leakage rate

T he u n known le a kage rate i s gi ven b y:
∆V
Q pV = p TA ×
∆t
(3)
where
is the pV-throughput at test condition;
Q pV
p TA is the test pressure at leak exit;
V is the collected volume;

Δ
t is the collecting time.

Δ
Pressure-to-atmosphere measurements shall be corrected for the vapour pressure of the indicating
f
l iqu id, f
or the vi s co s ity o f f the tracer ga s a nd a l s o or the i n fluence o pre s s u re a nd temp eratu re . For the
nominal leakage rate, reference pressure and temperature are given in Clause 4. Formula (4) assumes
lam i nar flow i n a rou nd pip e (H agen-Poi s eu i l le) . For e ach typ e o f le a k, it sh a l l b e che cke d whe ther
th i s a s s ump tion i s appl ic able . O ther wi s e, it i s ne ce s s ar y to c a lc u l ate with a n ade quate formu la or an
empirical correction.
T he nom i na l le a kage rate i s c a lc u late d by Formula (4):
η ref p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref p test ,out
Q N = Q pV × × × ×
η test p test , in 2 − p test ,out 2 p ref ,out × Ttest p test ,out − ( p v,ref − p v,test )
(4)
where
Q N is the nominal leakage rate;
Q pV is the pV-throughput at test condition according to Formula (3);
η ref i s the vi s co s ity o f ga s at re ference cond ition s;
η test i s the vi s co s ity o f ga s at te s t cond ition s;
p ref,in is the reference pressure at leak entrance;

p ref,out is the reference pressure at leak exit;
p test,in is the test pressure at leak entrance;
p test,out is the test pressure at leak exit;
Tref is the reference temperature;

Ttest is the temperature at test conditions;
p v,ref is the vapour pressure at reference conditions;
p v,test is the vapour pressure at test condition.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Atmosphere to vacuum measurement need not to be corrected for vapour pressure because, in this
situation, gas with high humidity is passing the leak.
The nominal leakage rate is given by:
η ref p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref
Q N = Q pV × × ×
η test p test , in 2 − p test ,out 2 p ref ,out × Ttest
(5)
7 . 1 . 5 . 2 I n fl u e n c e f
a c to r s to m e a s u re m e n t u n c e r ta i n ty
The calibration is mainly influenced by the following factors:

— test time;
— test volume;
— ambient pressure;
— ambient temperature;
— vapour pressure;
— test pressure.
The uncertainty shall be calculated according to common guidelines (see [2]).
7.2 Leak measurement under water (Method D)
7.2.1 General
This method is applicable to conductance leaks in the range of 0,2 Pa·m3/s (~100 Std cm3/min) up to
around 8 Pa·m3/s (~5 000 Std cm3/min).
Calibration from atmosphere to vacuum is not possible with this method.
7.2.2 Equipment
Leaks, which are too large to be calibrated by Method C can be calibrated by catching the escaping gas
under water in a calibrated volume.
A measuring glass with calibrated volume, a stopwatch, temperature measuring equipment for ambient
temperature and water temperature, a test pressure sensor and a sensor for ambient pressure are
necessary.
As conductance leaks normally have no tracer gas reservoir, a separate tracer gas supply is needed for
calibration.
The measuring glass is filled with water (see Figure 7). The water shall have the same temperature as
the ambient temperature. The leak is connected to the gas supply and the flow o f the leak is conducted
via a hose into the measuring glass. The time to fill a certain volume with gas shall be recorded.
I f the inlet pressure o f the leak is low (<50 kPa), the hydrostatic pressure is not negligible and the
average pressure shall be considered and checked at the beginning of the calibration. This is achieved
by replacing some o f the water in the measuring glass with gas via the unknown leak. When the water
in the measuring glass has been replaced by hal f o f the planned measuring gas volume, the gas supply
valve shall be closed. After a few seconds the pressure will equilibrate and the pressure gauge at the
leak inlet shows the difference between ambient pressure and the average exhaust pressure at the

ISO 20486:2017(E)
unknown leak. This pressure plus the ambient pressure is the outlet pressure, p test,out, of the leak and
Formula (6).
sh a l l b e u s e d i n the c a lc u lation b y
Fu r thermore, s ati s fy the re qu i rements for the prep a ration accord i ng to M e tho d C .
Key
1 test pressure 5 water basin
2 pressure gauge 6 measuring glass
3 unknown leak 7 water level
4 connecting hose 8 shut-off valve
Figure 7 — Set-up for Method D measurement
7.2.4 Measurement
a) T he pre s s u re s en s or s ha l l b e place d d i re c tly at the entra nce o f the re ference le a k (s e e Figure 8);
b) the i n le t pre s s u re at the re ference le a k sh a l l b e adj u s te d with exhau s t to a mbient;
c) water temp eratu re and ambient temp eratu re sha l l b e the s ame with i n a tolerance o f ±1 K;
d) the me a s u ri ng gla s s sha l l comple tely b e fi l le d with water;
e) the hose shall be inserted into the measuring glass and the time shall be measured until a certain
volume of gas is accumulated inside the measuring glass (see Figure 9);
f) rep e at s tep s b) to e) at le a s t th re e ti me s . T he rep e atabi l ity of the me a s urements sha l l be
with i n ± 2 % .

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
1 test pressure 4 connecting hose
2 pressure gauge 5 water basin
3 unknown leak 6 measuring glass
Figure 8 — Method D: Start condition of measurement
Key
1 test pressure 4 connecting hose
2 pressure gauge 5 water basin
3 unknown leak 6 measuring glass
Figure 9 — Method D: End condition of measurement
7.2.5 Evaluation for Method D

The pressure condition in Formula (6) i s b as e d on a lam i nar flow i n a rou nd pip e (H agen-Poi s eu i l le) . For
e ach typ e o f re ference le a k, it s ha l l b e che cke d whe ther th i s c a lc u lation i s p erm itte d . O ther wi s e, it i s
ne ce s s a r y to c a lc u late with a n empi ric a l corre c tion fac tor.
T he u n known le a kage rate i s given b y:
η ref p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref p test ,out

Q N = Q pV × × × ×
η test p test , in 2 − p test ,out 2 p ref ,out × Ttest p test ,out − ( p v,ref − p v,test )
(6)

ISO 20486:2017(E)
where
QN is the nominal leakage rate;
QpV is the pV-throughput at test condition according to Formula (3);

p test,out is the test pressure at leak exit (in the measuring glass);
p v,ref is the vapour pressure at reference conditions;
p v,test is the vapour pressure at test condition.
7 . 2 . 6 I n fl u e n c e f
T he c a l ibration i s i n fluence d by the fol lowi ng fac tors:
— test time;
— test volume;
— temperature of the water;
— vapour pressure;
— test pressure;
— s olubi l ity o f the ga s i nto the l iqu id .
T he u ncer tai nty s ha l l b e c a lc u l ate d accord i ng the com mon gu idel i ne s (s e e [ 2]).
7.3 Calibration by (volumetric) gas meter (Method E)
7.3.1 General
This method is applicable to conductance leaks in the range of 2 000 Std cm3/min up to around
100 000 Std cm3/min.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
7.3.2 Equipment
If the leaks are so large that it is not possible to calibrate them using Methods C or D, it is possible to use
a calibrated gas meter. The gas flow from the re ference leak (outlet) shall be led into the gas meter. The
test time shall be minimum 1,5 min.
As equipment, a calibrated gas meter, a stopwatch, temperature measuring equipment for ambient
temperature and a sensor for ambient pressure are necessary.
NOTE As a gas meter measures volume flow (e.g. m 3/h) the total pressure is needed to obtain pV-throughput.
As conductance leaks normally have no tracer gas reservoir, a separate tracer gas supply is needed or
calibration may be per formed with filtered, oil free and dry atmospheric air.
The re ference leak shall be fitted directly at the entrance o f the gas meter. The pressure sensor shall be
close to the entrance of the reference leak.
Furthermore, the requirements for the preparation according to Method C shall be observed.
7.3.4 Measurement
a) The pressure sensor shall be directly at the entrance o f the re ference leak;
b) the re ference leak shall be mounted directly at the inlet o f the gas meter;
c) the time shall be measured until a certain volume has passed the gas meter;
d) the measured volume should be larger than 1,5 × of the nominal volume of the reference leak;
e) repeat step c) at least three times. The repeatability o f the measurements should be within ±2 %.
7.3.5 Evaluation for Method E (gas meter)

The pressure condition in Formula (7) is based on a laminar flow in a round pipe (Hagen-Poiseuille).
For each type o f re ference leak, it shall be checked whether this calculation is permitted. Otherwise, it
is necessary to calculate with an empirical correction factor.
The unknown leakage rate is given by:
η ref p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref
Q N = Q pV × × ×
(7)
where
QN is the nominal leakage rate;
QpV is the pV-throughput at test condition according to Formula (3);
η ref is the viscosity o f gas at re ference conditions;
η test is the viscosity o f gas at test conditions;

ISO 20486:2017(E)

Because the gas counter is a real volumetric unit, there is no vapour pressure influence taken into
account.
7.3.6 Influence factors to measurement uncertainty
The calibration is mainly influenced by the following factors:
— test time;
— test volume;
— test pressure;
— internal flow resistance o f the gas meter;
— uncertainty o f the gas meter.
The uncertainty shall be calculated according the common guidelines (see [2]).
7.4 Calibration by pressure change in a known volume (Method F)
7.4.1 General
This method is an alternative to Methods A and B and it can be used for most types o f non-condensing,
non-corrosive gases.
The leakage rate is calculated by the pressure rise in a known volume over time. By using di fferent
volumes and different times, it is possible to adapt to different leakage rates. This method is usable
for leaks with or without a gas reservoir. It is also possible to measure a gas flow from over-pressure
to ambient pressure, from ambient pressure to vacuum, from over-pressure to vacuum or from over-
pressure to another over-pressure.
As equipment, a pressure sensor, a stopwatch, a chamber with a known volume and a gas supply for all
re ference leaks without own gas reservoir is necessary. I f it is necessary to use other pressures inside
the known volume, a vacuum pump or a separate gas supply with dry and clean gas is also necessary.
The leak unit of 1 mbar·l/s means a pressure change of 1 mbar in 1 l volume per second. This is the
same as a leakage rate of 1 bar cm3/s = 0,987 Std cm3/s.
The leakage rate for those leaks can be specified in Std cm 3/min, in mbar·l/s or in Pa·m 3/s.
Using this method, it is possible to determine a leakage rate by a pressure change in a known volume.
There are three options for calibration with this method:
1) gas flow through the calibrated leak from pressure (absolute pressure) to vacuum in the test
chamber;
2) gas flow through the calibrated leak from positive pressure to ambient pressure in the test
chamber;
3) gas flow through the calibrated leak from pressure (absolute pressure) to a lower pressure in the
test chamber.
ISO 20486:2017(E)
The accuracy o f the calibration depends on the test volume, on the test time and under certain
conditions also on physical e ffects (e.g. desorption from the chamber walls). It can be a time-consuming
calibration and uncertainty decreases with the test time. This type o f calibration is pre ferred for leaks
in the range between 10 −7 Pa·m3/s to 10 −3 Pa·m3/s.
The advantage o f this method is that it can be used for nearly all gases and a mass spectrometer is
not needed.
NOTE A deeper evaluation of this method can be found in [3].
Independent from the calibration method, the first step is to determine the exact inside volume o f the
test chamber. This can be done by two methods:
1) connection of the test chamber to a known volume;
2) injecting a known gas volume to the test chamber.
It is important that the valve between the chamber and the known volume does not have an internal
volume itsel f. A change o f the volume, which is generated by the valve, shall be taken into account.
During the volume check, the valve to the calibrated leak shall be open so that the dead volume between
leak and valve o f the re ference leak is included in the calculation. There should be no flow through the
calibrated leak during the volume check.
The volume check shall be done 3 times and shall be used in the calculation o f measurement uncertainty.
In a test with vacuum chambers, there is the e ffect o f pressure rise by outgassing from the sur faces.
Before a calibration, this effect of outgassing shall be determined and be subtracted from the result.
The system shall be thermally insulated against rapid ambient temperature changes.
It shall be ensured that the test chamber is free of leaks.
7.4.2.1 Volume determination of test chamber by connecting a known volume
A known gas volume, V2 , with pressure, p2 , is connected to the test chamber of unknown volume, V1 ,
and pressure, p1 , by a valve (which has no internal volume). Opening the valve generates a total volume,
V3 , with a uniform pressure, p3 .
The leak tightness o f the overall system shall be ensured. See Figure 10.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
1 test chamber V1 with pressure p1 5 vacuum pump
2 pressure sensor 6 reference leak
3 venting valve 7 dead volume VD
4 known gas volume V2 with pressure p2
Figure 10 — Set-up for Method F measurement by connection of the test chamber to a
known volume
The chamber volume, V1 , can be calculated according to Formula (8):

V2 × ( p 2 − p 3 )
V1 = (8)
( p3 − p1 )
where
V1 is the unknown volume;
V2 is the known gas volume;
p1 is the pressure of unknown volume;
p2 is the pressure of known gas volume;
p3 is the pressure after valve was open.
7.4.2.2 Volume determination of test chamber by injecting a known gas volume
Alternatively, the volume o f the unknown test chamber can be determined by injecting a known gas
volume, V2 , into the unknown volume, V1 , via the connecting valve. By injecting the gas volume, V2 , the
pressure inside the test chamber rises from p1 to p2 . See Figure 11.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
1 test chamber V1 with pressure p1 5 vacuum pump
2 pressure sensor 6 reference leak
3 venting valve 7 connecting valve
4 known gas volume V2 with pressure p2
Figure 11 — Set-up for Method F measurement by injecting a known gas volume to the test
chamber
The volume, V1 , can be calculated according to Formula (9):

V2 × p 2
V1 = (9)
( p2 − p1 )
where
V1 is the unknown volume of the test chamber;
V2 i s the i nj e c ti ng ga s volume;
p1 i s the pre s s u re b e fore i nj e c tion;
p2 i s the pre s s u re a fter i nj e c tion .
7.4.3 Measurement
After the volume of the test chamber has been determined, the leak to be calibrated shall be connected
to the test chamber via the connecting valve. The gas from the unknown leak causes an increase of
pressure in the test chamber over time. The pressure increase in the test chamber can be calculated to
yield a lea kage rate .
During the test, the ambient temperature shall be constant.

The pressure condition in Formula (10) i s b a s e d on l am i nar flow i n a rou nd pip e (H agen-Poi s eu i l le) . For
f
e ach typ e o le a k, it s ha l l b e che cke d whe ther th i s c a lc u lation i s p erm itte d . O ther wi s e, it i s ne ce s s ar y to
calculate with an empirical correction factor.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
T he le a kage rate o f the le a k to b e c a l ibrate d at atmo s pheric pre s s u re i s given b y Formula (10):
∆p × V1 η ref p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref
QN =
t
× × ×
(10)
where
Δ p is the pressure change in the chamber during test time;
V 1 is the volume of the test chamber;
t is the test time;


Ttest is the temperature at test conditions.
7.4.4 Special situation in vacuum chambers
7.4.4.1 General
If the chamber is under vacuum, it is possible that the inner surfaces are outgassing. This outgassing
f f f
i n fluence s the te s t re s u lt a nd it i s there ore ne ce s s ar y to de term i ne the amou nt o de s orbi ng gas b e ore
the calibration is performed.

To obtain the rate of desorbing gas, the test volume needs to be evacuated to the start vacuum pressure
(for exhaust into vacuum, less than 1 mbar absolute). Wait the expected test time (without connecting
the leak to be calibrated) and measure the pressure rise during this time. The pressure rise during this
time originates from outgassing of the surface. See Figure 12.
T he le a k tightne s s o f the overa l l s ys tem s ha l l b e en s u re d . I t sh a l l b e a l s o en s u re d, b y tria l s , that the
outgassing is repeatable.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
Δp pressure increase by outgassing
p total pressure
t measurement time
Figure 12 — Method F: pressure increase by outgassing process
A fter the volume o f the test chamber has been determined, the test system shall be set to start
conditions and the leak to be calibrated shall be connected to the test chamber.
The leakage rate of the unknown leak causes a pressure rise inside the test chamber volume, V1 . The
leakage rate o f the unknown leak is calculated by this pressure rise in the test chamber volume, V1 ,
corrected for the outgassing of the test chamber. See Figure 13.
Key
1 pressure increase by outgassing + leakage rate
2 pressure increase by outgassing
p total pressure
t measurement time
Figure 13 — Method F: pressure increase by outgassing process and leakage rate
7.4.4.2 Measurement in a vacuum chamber

Test time, test volume and pressure sensor shall be selected in a way that the pressure rise in the
chamber during the measurement is lower than 1 % o f the inlet pressure o f the leak to be calibrated.
Otherwise, the influence o f the exit pressure on the leakage rate o f the unknown leak would be too high.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
I f a le a k without a re s er voi r i s c a l ibrate d, then it i s ne ce s s ar y to u s e a c a l ibrate d ma nome ter at the i n le t
o f the le a k to b e s u re that there i s the corre c t pre s s u re . T he u ncer ta i nty o f th i s manome ter sha l l b e a l s o
ta ken i nto accou nt i n the c a lc u lation o f the u ncer tai nty o f the u n known le a k.
7.4.5 Evaluation for Method F (pressure change)

The leakage rate of the unknown leak is:
QN =
( ∆p − ∆p des ) × V1 × η ref ×
p ref , in 2 − p ref ,out 2 p test ,out × Tref
× (11)
t η test p test , in 2 − p test ,out 2 p ref ,out × Ttest
where
Δ p is the pressure change in the chamber during test time;
Δ p des i s the pre s s u re ch ange by outga s s i ng (de s or p tion) du ri ng te s t ti me;
V 1 is the volume of the test chamber;

t is the test time;


Ttest is the temperature at test conditions.
7 . 4 . 6 I n fl u e n c e f
— test time;
— volume of the test chamber;
— test pressure at reference leak;
— u ncer tai nty o f pre s s u re s en s or (i f pre s ent) at u n known le a k;
— u ncer tai nty o f pre s s u re s en s or at te s t chamb er;
— pre s s u re ch ange b y outga s s i ng.
T he u ncer tai nty s ha l l b e c a lc u l ate d accord i ng the com mon gu idel i ne s (s e e [ 2]).
To c a lc u late the u ncer ta i nty o f the volu me o f the te s t ch amb er a l l de ad volu me s , e s p e ci a l ly tho s e
between the valves, shall be taken into account.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
7.5 Calibration by volume change at constant pressure (Method G)
7.5.1 Equipment
The system setup is shown in Figure 14 . There is a connection flange for the leak to be calibrated and
two valves for venting to atmospheric pressure. A diaphragm gauge measures the differential pressure.
The change in volume ΔV is made with a calibrated drive to which a piston is connected. The piston has
a vacuum tight seal to the chamber of calibration.
Key
1 leak to be calibrated 4 piston drive
2 differtial pressur sensor 5 volume V
3 valve V1 6 valve V2
Figure 14 — Schematic of the pΔV calibration system

The system is thermally insulated against rapid ambient temperature changes. Be fore a calibration can
be performed, the unknown leak needs to reach equilibrium with the temperature of the room in which
the calibration system resides.
7.5.3 Measurement
Once the leak is connected and the valves shut, the pressure in the calibration volume starts to increase.
As soon as the di fferential pressure rises above a certain level, a change o f volume, ΔV, is made by the
piston. As a consequence of the increase in volume, the pressure drops below the zero differential
pressure level but starts to increase again due to the gas emitted from the leak. When the pressure
reaches the original level, another increase in volume is performed. This procedure of the volume
increment is repeated at least 20 times. The pressure data shall be recorded. See Figure 15.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Key
t time in s
Y differential pressure in hPa
1 valve operations
2 cycles
Figure 15 — Example of differential pressure as a function of time during a typical calibration
Volu me ch ange s , Δ V, c an b e generate d b y two d i fferent me tho d s:
a) b y compre s s ion o f a b el low with a c a l ibrate d l i ne ar un it;
b) b y i n s er ti ng a pi s ton i nto a c yl i nder with a c a l ibrate d l i ne a r u n it.
I n b o th c a s e s , the s e t-up sh a l l a l low for 2 0 con s e c uti ve e qua l volu me cha nge s , Δ V , during one movement.
Measurement of calibration pressure, p 0 , s ha l l be done with a c a l ibrate d gauge, typic a l ly clo s e to
atmospheric pressure.
T he ti me i nter va l, t
Δ , b e twe en two me as u rements sh a l l be eva luate d by averagi ng ab out
20 measurements of time intervals between zero differential pressure crossings. The scatter of these
i nter va l s i s mo s tly de term i ne d b y the uncer ta i nty o f the d i fferenti a l pre s s ure gauge .
7.5.4 Evaluation for Method G (volume change at constant pressure)
7.5.4.1 General
A determination of the leakage rate at the calibration temperature requires four quantities:
— absolute pressure, p;
— V;
change i n volume, Δ
— t;
ti me, Δ
— temperature at which the leak is measured.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
The unknown leakage rate, q, (in units of pV -th roughput) i s given b y:
∆V
q= ⋅p
∆t 0
(12)
where
Δ V is the periodic volume change;
Δ t is the time interval between two measurements;
p 0 is the reference pressure held constant during the measurement (close to atmospheric pressure).
7 . 5 . 4 . 2 I n fl u e n c e f
T he random u ncer tai ntie s ca n no t be c a lc u late d but sh a l l be de term i ne d by a s tati s tic a l ana lys i s
(rep e atabi l ity ana lys i s) o f the s c atter o f re ad i ngs o f the d i fferent i n s tru ments u s e d or more e as i ly b y a
nu mb er o f re s u lts eva luate d with a l l s ys tematic i n fluence s held as con s tant as p o s s ible .
T he re s u lt o f s uch a rep e atabi l ity ana lys i s i s a s ample o f me a s u rement re s u lts , wh ich typic a l ly have a
norma l d i s tribution o f va lue s . Fol lowi ng s tand ard me tho d s o f uncer ta i nty eva luation, the u ncer ta i nty
is evaluated as the standard deviation, sQ , of leakage rate results.

— testing time
— te s ti ng volume (u ncer ta i nty o f the pi s ton and l i ne a r u n it)
— ambient temperature
— te s ti ng pre s s u re (uncer ta i nty o f the di fferenti a l pre s s ure s en s or, s tabi l ity o f re ference pre s s u re)
T he u ncer tai nty sh a l l b e c a lc u late d accordi ng to com mon gu idel i ne s (s e e [ 2]).

8 G e n e ra l i n fl u e n c e s
T he flow th rough conduc tance le a ks (c api l la r y ori fice typ e) i s i n fluence d b y vi s co s ity and the vi s co s ity
i s a l s o i n fluence d b y pre s s u re . T here fore, th i s i n fluence s ha l l b e ta ken i nto account when con s ideri ng
the measurement uncertainties.

T here are o ther i n fluence s wh ich ca n no t b e qua ntitatively me as u re d, for e xample:
— heat from the hand on the apparatus before start of the measurement;
— evaporation cooling of the surface of the test volume (Method D);
— expansion refrigeration;
— flow re s i s tance o f ga s me ter ( pre s s u re lo s s i n s ide ga s me ter) .
Known i n fluence s s hou ld b e m i n i m i z e d b y appropri ate me tho d s and a re a l i s tic as s e s s ment o f the
re s u lti ng uncer ta i nty s hou ld b e done and adde d to the c a lc u late d me a s urement u ncer tai nty.
9 Report
The calibration report of a reference leak shall contain the following information:
— typ e o f le a k ( p erme ation or conduc ta nce) ;
— typ e o f tracer ga s;

ISO 20486:2017(E)
— measured leakage rate (in throughput units: Pa·m3/s, mbar·l/s or Std cm3/min);
— inlet and outlet pressure, for which the measured leakage rate is valid;
— nominal leakage rate (1 000 mbar, 20 °C, in throughput units: Pa·m3/s, mbar·l/s or volume units:
Std cm3/min);
— u ncer tai nty o f me a s urement (re s u lt o f c a lc u lation) ;
— c a lc u l ation formu l a(s) o f u ncer tai nty o f me as u rement;
— l i ne a r temp eratu re co e fficient o f le a kage rate (%/K ) ;
— calibration temperature;
— e xp e c te d de cre as e o f le a kage rate [due to deple tion o f tracer ga s re s er voi r, i f a ny (%/a) s e e Annex A];
— u s e d mea s u rement e qu ipment (i nclud i ng the s p e ci fie d tolera nce/uncer ta i nty o f th i s e qu ipment) ;
— date of calibration;
— method used, according to this standard (A, As , B, B s , C, D, E, F or G);
— u n ique identi fic ation for the re ference le a k;
— signature of the tester;

— name and location of the calibration site;
— leak detector used as transfer instrument, if applicable.
10 Labelling of reference leaks
The label of a reference leak shall contain all the information stated in Clause 9 and marked. The
operation and storage temperature ranges should be stated to ensure proper handling of the leak.
I f it i s no t p o s s ible to put a l l i n formation d i re c tly on the re ference le a k, a n unambiguou s a s s ign ment to
the corre s p ond i ng cer ti fic ate s ha l l b e pl ace d on the re ference le a k.
11 Handling of reference leaks
11.1 General
To prevent breakage of the leak element, which is often made from glass or quartz, calibrated leaks
shou ld a lways b e hand le d with c are . I f da mage i s s u s p e c te d , the le a k sha l l b e re - che cke d for corre c t
le a kage rate . O n ly d r y and cle a n gas e s a re to b e u s e d for re ference le a ks .
1 1 . 2 P e r m e a ti o n l e a ks ( n o r m a l l y w i th re s e r vo i r fi tte d th e l e a k o u tl e t)
For p erme ation le a ks , wh ich norma l ly have ver y s ma l l le a kage rate s , it i s mo s t i mp or ta nt duri ng s torage
to ke ep op en a ny va lve i n front o f the le a k. T h i s prevents any acc u mu lation o f hel iu m either i n a de ad
space in front of the closed valve or in the elastomeric seal of the valve.
11.3 Conductance leaks (normally without reservoir)
Conductance leaks shall be kept in an environment free of dust particles and moisture, which is best
ach ieve d b y clo s i ng thei r outle t b y either a fla nge or a l l-me ta l va lve . T h i s do e s no t prevent tracer ga s
lo s s over extende d p erio d s o f ti me but ke ep s away d i r t p ar ticle s a nd moi s tu re du ri ng s torage .

ISO 20486:2017(E)
Annex A
(informative)
Calculation of leakage rate decrease due to tracer gas depletion in
the reservoir
I n the c a lc u lation s b elow, the fol lowi ng s ymb ol s are u s e d:
p x inlet partial pressures of the tracer gas;

p amb outlet partial pressures of the tracer gas;
Q x leakage rate;
Q x,0 leakage rate at t = 0;
p x,0 inlet partial pressures of the tracer gas at t = 0;
t time;
V reservoir volume.
Key
1 Qx
tracer gas flow,
2 leak with conductance, Cx

3 reservoir with volume, V, partial pressure of tracer gas, px
Figure A.1 — Relevant parameters for the calculation of tracer gas depletion
G enera l ly the flow, Q x , i s given by:
dp x
Q x = −V
dt
(A.1)
On the other hand, Qx can be factorized into two functions, C and f( p x(t), pamb). C contains the time-
i ndep endent f( p x(t), p amb) describes the dependence on pressures of the
ge ome tr y, materi a l , e tc .
throughput. pamb deno te s the ambient pre s s u re at wh ich the tracer ga s flows .
Q x = Cf ( p p ) x
,
amb
(A.2)
Inserting Formula (A.2) into Formula (A.1) yield s a d i fferenti a l formu l a who s e s olution de s c rib e s the
time dependence of Qx . For a fi rs t orientation o f the de cre a s e o f the le a kage rate, the fi rs t deri vative o f
Q x to t at t = 0 is a good approximation.

ISO 20486:2017(E)
The time dependence, f( p x(t), pamb), can be expressed for one of the following cases.
a) Permeation type leak f( p x , p amb) = p x – p amb
(mole cu la r flow) :
The approximation is;

 Q x ,0 
Q x = Q x ,0  1 − t (A.3)

 V ( p x ,0 − p amb ) 
F low i nto vac uu m s i mpl i fie s Formula (A.3) to:
 Q x ,0 
Q x = Q x ,0  1 − t
Vp x ,0 
(A.4)

b) Capillary type leak (H agen-Poi s eu i l le -flow) : f ( p x , p amb ) = p x2 − p amb
2
 
 2 p x ,0 Q x ,0
Q x = Q x ,0  1 − t  (A.5)

 (
V p x2 ,0 − p amb
2
)


F low i nto vac uu m s i mpl i fie s Formula (A.5) to:
 2 Q x ,0 
Q x = Q x ,0  1 − t
Vp x ,0 
(A.6)


ISO 20486:2017(E)
Bibliography
[1] Arai K., Yoshida H., H irata M., Akimichi H., Kobata T. Stability tests of standard leaks
for the calibration by a comparison method Original Research Article. Measurement. 2012, 45
pp. 2441–2444
[2] JCGM 100:2008, Evaluation of measurement data — Guide to the expression of uncertainty in
measurement (GUM)
[3] Arai K., & Yoshida H. Primary flow meter for calibrating a sni ffer test leak artefact by a
pressure rise method. Metrologia. •••, 51 (5) p. 522

ISO 2 0486: 2 01 7(E)
ICS 19.100
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INTERNATIONAL ISO

Non-destructive testing — Leak

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© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

Non-destructive testing — Leak testing — Calibration of

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b) Calibration by direct measurement

ISO 20484, Non-destructive testing — Leak testing — Vocabulary

2 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

4 Nominal leakage rates

be used for comparison. Recommended reference conditions are:

5.1 Permeation leak

from 10 Pa·m3/s to 10 Pa·m3/s.

5.2 Conductance leaks

© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 3

6.1 Methods A, As , B and B s

6.2 Applicability of comparison methods

4 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

6.3.1 Leak detector

© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 5

Figure 2 — Coupling of leaks to the leak detector

atmospheric pressure in front of the sniffer tip. See Figure 3.

6 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

6.3.3 Temperature accommodation

© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 7

T h i s way, a me as u re o f s tati s tic a l devi ation c an a l s o b e fou nd . T he genera l s e quence o f me a s u rements

ambient ai r for s ni ffi ng le a ks;

b) conne c t re ference le a k No . 1, wa it for s te ady flow a nd me a s u re the re s u lti ng output s igna l

(Method A, As , B and B s);

Method B and B s);

g) repeat steps a) to f) at least three times.

6.5.1 Determination of leakage rate

6.5.1.1 Method A and As : Result of comparison to one reference leak

Otherwise, Formula (1b) shall be used:

Rref, Ru the re ad i ngs o f the re ference and u n known le a k, re s p e c tively;

T he re ad i ngs c an b e i n a ny con s i s tent u n its , a s on ly ratio s are con s idere d .

s ign a l s with le a k con ne c te d a nd d i s con ne c te d (re s p e c tivel y, va l ve op ene d a nd clo s e d) .

the u n known le a k i s no t given , it c a n b e a s s u me d th at it i s app roxi m atel y 3 , 5 %/K for a qu a r tz p er me atio n le a k,

a nd 0 , 3 %/ K for co nduc ta nce typ e le aks i n vi s cou s flow mo de .

8 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

6.5.1.2 Method B and B s : Result of comparison to two reference leaks

T he c a l ibration i s mai n ly i n fluence d b y the fol lowi ng fac tors:

— u ncer tai nty o f the re ference le a k(s) ;

— ambient temperature (all leaks at the same temperature level);

T he u ncer ta i nty s ha l l b e c a lcu l ate d accord i ng to com mon gu idel i ne s (s e e [ 2]).

© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 9

7.1.3.1 Temperature accommodation

7.1.3.2 Connection of leak to capillary tube

10 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

7.1.4.1 Pressure to atmosphere

Figure 5 — Set-up for Method C measurement: pressure to atmosphere

© ISO 2017 – All rights reserved 11

7.1.4.2 Atmosphere to vacuum

12 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

7.1.5.1 Determination of leakage rate

V is the collected volume;

t is the collecting time.

η test i s the vi s co s ity o f ga s at te s t cond ition s;

p ref,in is the reference pressure at leak entrance;

p test,in is the test pressure at leak entrance;

p test,out is the test pressure at leak exit;

Tref is the reference temperature;