Source for ASTM D1003 Transparent Plastic Haze Standards from HunterLab Follow

You can order single Haze standards or the full set of 5 haze standards through HunterLab for use with any of our sphere instruments – ColorQuest XE, UltraScan PRO and UltraScan VIS. These solid, transparent plastic plaques (calibrated or uncalibrated) can be effective in monitoring instrument performance in measuring wide angle scattering over time.  

• CMR-2952 Single Calibrated ASTM D1003 Transmission Haze Standard –This CMR provides a single, plastic, calibrated Haze Standard of the customer’s choice of 1%, 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% Haze (please note on order).

If a single Haze standard (CMR-2952) or a set of 5 Haze standards (CMR-2760) are being shipped with a new HunterLab sphere instrument, documentation of the Values Read-at-Factory will be provided by HunterLab Technical Services. If the instrument is in-service, the customer will be responsible for setting the baseline value(s) themselves.

Clients typically purchase a single Haze standard, at or just above the haze level of their product to verify haze performance of their instrument over time using the following protocol:

• Standardize the sphere instrument on Air in TTRAN LAV mode.  This represents a perfectly clear medium with no haze.
• Measure Air as a PQ Performance Qualification check with the measurement expected to be Haze% = 0; Y Total Transmission = 100.
• Then measure the single CMR-2952 haze standard as a further PQ check expecting that it will closely match the baseline value read on the first day or Value Read-at-Factory over time.
• If this is not the case, carefully examine the Haze standard for smudges or fingerprints. Clean the standard; re-standardize and read Air; then read the PQ Haze standard again.
• If reading both PQ tests closely as expected, the instrument is performance qualified and ready to read samples.
• If the sample is a transparent solid, just proceed to place the sample in the transmittance clamp and measure. If the sample is a liquid, re-standardize in TTRAN LAV mode using the cell filled with DI water as a reference.  It is a good PQ step to read the cell with DI water prior to measuring the haze of transparent liquid samples with Haze% = 0; Y Total Transmittance = 100 expected.

• To validate your haze measurement process, the values for the top-of-scale (Air for transparent solids or cell + DI water for transparent liquids) and this PQ Haze Standard can be recorded over time or graphed in a control chart.

• CMR-2760 Set of 5 Calibrated ASTM D1003 Transmittance Haze Standards –This CMR provides a calibrated set of 5 plastic ASTM D1003 Haze Standards with nominal values of 1%, 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% Haze.

Clients tend to purchase the set of 5 Haze Standards to verify instrument performance for a wide haze range over time and for multi-site measurement agreement on samples.

• Circulate the Haze Standards and samples to multiple sites.
• Standardize the sphere instrument on Air in TTRAN LAV mode.
• At each site, measure Air as a Performance Qualification check with the measurement expected to be Haze% = 0, Y Total Transmittance = 100.
• If performance qualified on air, measure each of the Haze standards expecting that all instruments will read closely. If this is not the case at one site, carefully clean the Haze standard and repeat.
• If performance qualified on the Haze standards, proceed to make sample measurements on a transparent solid in the transmittance clamp. If the sample is a liquid, re-standardize in TTRAN LAV mode before making sample measurements.
•  If site agreement on haze measurement is with others on uniform, stable Air and Haze standards but not on product samples, look at the sample presentation method closely for differences causing the offset.

Cleanliness and Care in Cleaning of Haze Standards

Haze standards must be kept clean and should be stored covered in their box in a cool, dry place. Haze is about scattering of light and this can be caused by the internal scattering within these standards or a misplaced fingerprint. Take care in handling and cleaning.

HunterLab Distributor Comment: “When cleaning Haze standards, especially the low value standards, it is highly recommended to use a deer skin cloth that will avoid scratching the surface thereby changing the Haze value over time.  Using paper, even Kimwipes will cause scratching.”

FAQ: Establishing baseline values for a replacement haze standard

“A customer who purchased a ColorQuest XE and a CMR-2760 set of 5 Haze Standards many years ago, scratched one of them badly and has decided to purchase a new single replacement (CMR-2952).

Is there a ‘specific’ procedure for setting the base line haze value on his ColorQuest?”

The customer would baseline an in-service Haze standard in the field in the same manner as was done with the original set and described in the CMR-2952 documentation that comes with the standard.

Standardize for Air as top-of-scale (white tile are reflectance port) representing a perfect clear material with no haze scattering.

As a Performance Qualification step, read back Air as a sample. It should read Haze% = 0, Y Total transmittance = 100.

For further assurance, your customer could read the rest of his set of haze standards and verify that he is reading them in keeping with past calibrated and baseline values.

Then read and baseline the new replacement haze standard. A good practice is to average 3 or 4 readings with replacement of the haze standard in the holder. The average baseline Haze values should be close to the calibrated value that comes with the standard.

For further assurance, another read back of Air as a perfect clear of Haze% = 0 is a good practice.

Do you still need more information? Submit a ticket and our support team member will reach out to you soon!