The Legal System of Units of Measure, as well as the general principles and norms to which the organization and the legal regime of the metrological activity in Spain will have to adjust, are currently established by the Law 3/1985, of March 18, of Metrology, one of whose key pieces has been the establishment of a metrological control by the State, to which they must submit, in defense of the security, the protection of the health and the interests (a) consumers and users, all the instruments, equipment, means and systems of measurement, which serve to weigh, measure or count, and which has been developed by Royal Decree 1616/1985 of 11 September.

Produced the accession of Spain to the European Communities, by Royal Legislative Decree 1296/1986, of 28 June, the Law of Metrology is amended to adapt it to the secondary Community law, establishing itself, in addition to the control of the State, a special metrological control, with effect in the field of the European Economic Community, known as the EEC Metrological Control, which will be applicable, if the control equipment available to the State so permits, to the instruments of measures and methods of metrological control regulated by a specific Directive of the European Economic Community, which has been regulated by Royal Decree 597/1988 of 10 June.

Among the Community rules governing measuring instruments and methods of metrological control, are Directives 76 /765/EEC of 27 July 1976, as amended by 82 /624/EEC of 1 July 1982, and the 76 /766/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to alcoholimeters, alcohol and alcohol tables.

This Order has no other purpose than to incorporate the aforementioned Directive into Spanish national law, and it is issued in use of the authorization granted to the Ministry of Public Works and Urbanism for the final disposition of the Royal Decree 597/1988, of 10 June, for which the EEC Metrological Control is regulated,

By virtue,

DISPONGO:

First.

Alcoholimeters, alcohol areometers and alcohol tables described in the Annex to this Order shall be subject to the metrological control of the approval of the model and of the original verification, which shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 597/1988 of 10 June 1988 regulating the EEC Metrological Control or, where appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1616/1985 of 15 September 1985 establishing the control of the metrological that the State Administration performs.

Second.

The metrological control referred to in the previous paragraph shall be carried out by the Spanish Metrology Center of the Ministry of Public Works and Urbanism, in accordance with the technical specifications mentioned in the aforementioned Annex.

FINAL DISPOSITION

This Order shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the "Official State Gazette".

Madrid, December 28, 1988.

COSCULLUELA SAENZ

Ilmos. Mr Deputy Secretary and Director General of the National Geographic Institute.

ANNEX I

This annex sets out the characteristics of alcoholimeters and alcohol areometers intended for the determination of the alcoholic strength of water and ethanol mixtures. It also sets out the methods used to express this title according to the measures taken.

1. Definition of the instruments

1.1 Alcoholimeters are glass instruments that measure:

The mass alcoholic title, or

The volume of alcohol, a mixture of water and alcohol.

According to the measured magnitude, they are called mass or volume alcoholimeters.

Alcohol areometers are glass instruments that measure the volume of a mixture of water and alcohol.

1.2 The instruments, which are the subject of this provision, shall be graduated, at the reference temperature of 20 ° C, according to the values shown in international alcohol tables published by the International Organisation of Legal metrology (OIML) and calculated according to the formula set out in Annex II to this provision.

They will be graded for readings made at the level of the free, horizontal surface of the liquid.

2. Description of the instruments

2.1 Alcoholimeters and alcohol areometers are glass instruments made up of:

A cylindrical reservoir, the lower end of which ends in a conical or hemispherical part so as not to retain air bubbles, and

A cylindrical rod, hollow, welded to the top of the reservoir and whose top end is closed.

The old form called "ojival" cannot receive EEC model approval, nor can it be used in commercial, fiscal or expert operations.

2.2 The outer surface of the entire instrument is a surface of revolution around the main axis.

The straight section must not present discontinuous variations.

2.3 The bottom of the tank contains the load to adjust the mass of the instrument.

2.4 The rod includes a graduated scale on a cylindrical support immovably fixed to the interior of said rod.

3. Building principles

3.1 The glass used for the manufacture of these instruments must be transparent and free from defects that can make it difficult to read the indications of the scale.

Your cubic dilation coefficient must be: (25 ± 2) x 10^-6 per ° C, that is (25 ± 2) 10^-6 C^-1.

3.2 The material constituting the load must be fixed to the bottom of the instrument. Once the instrument is finished, if it is kept in a horizontal position for an hour at a temperature of 80 ° C, and subsequently cooled in that position, the vertical axis of the instrument rod may deviate from the vertical position. approximately 1 ° 30 ' sexagesimal, when the balance is established on the flotation surface.

4. Scale

4.1 These instruments will carry nothing more than a scale of the type referred to in 4.5 or 4.6.

4.2 Scale and inscriptions must be marked on a support that presents a smooth and non-shiny surface.

This support must be rigidly immobilized on the rod and an appropriate device must be able to verify any displacement, scale and support in relation to the rod.

Support, scale, and inscriptions shall not present any indication of distortion, discoloration or carbonization, when subjected to, for twenty-four hours at the temperature of 70 ° C.

4.3 Brands will be traces:

Located at planes perpendicular to the axis of the instrument;

Negros (outside the range of the nominal scale, may be different in color) and marked clearly and indelibly;

Fine, clean and of a uniform width not exceeding 0,2 mm.

4.4 The length of the short strokes of the scale shall be at least equal to the fifth part of the circumference of the rod; the length of the means to the third part, and the length of the long traces, to the middle of the rod circumference.

4.5 The nominal scales of alcoholimeters shall be graduated in volumic or mass alcoholic strength (percentage vol. or higher percentage), as defined in Annex II. They shall cover a volumic or mass alcoholic strength field which shall not exceed 10 per 100.

The step will have a value of 0.1 per 100.

Each scale must include 5 to 10 steps beyond the lower and upper limits of its nominal field.

4.6 The nominal scales of the alcohol areometers will be graduated in kilograms per cubic meter. They will cover a field that will not exceed 20 kilograms/cubic meter.

The step will have a value of 0.2 kilograms/cubic meter.

Each scale must include 5 to 10 steps beyond the lower and upper limits of its nominal field. However, the scale shall not necessarily extend beyond the value of 1,000 kilograms/cubic meter.

5. Graduation and numbering of the scale

5.1 In alcoholimeters, each order mark 10, counted from a mark limit of the nominal scale, shall be indicated by a long trace. There will be a middle stroke between two consecutive long strokes, and four short strokes between a long stroke and a middle stroke.

Long strokes will be numbered only.

5.2 In the numbered areometers long strokes.

5.2 In the alcohol areometers, each mark of order 5, counted from a mark limit of the nominal scale, shall be indicated by a long trace. There will be four short strokes between two consecutive long strokes.

Only order 5 or 10 strokes will be numbered.

5.3 Numbering of the strokes corresponding to the limits of the nominal scale must be done completely.

In the alcohol areometers the other numbers may be abbreviated.

6. Classification of the main instruments and dimensions

6.1 The instruments will belong to one of the following precision classes:

Class I: The minimum average length of the step shall be 1,5 mm. Instruments of this class shall not have a built-in thermometer;

Class II: The minimum average length of the step shall be 1,05 mm. Instruments of this class may have a built-in thermometer;

Class III: The minimum mean length of the step shall be 0.85 mm. Instruments of this class may have a built-in thermometer;

Only instruments of Class I and Class II may be used in commercial operations, tax or expert operations.

6.2 The outer diameter of the tanks shall be between 19 and 40 mm.

The outer diameter of the rod shall be at least 3 mm for the instruments of Classes I and II and at least 2,5 mm for those of Class III. The rod shall be prolonged at least 15 mm above the upper mark of the scale.

The straight section of the rod shall remain uniform in a length of at least 5 mm below the lower mark of the scale.

7. Inscriptions

7.1 The following inscriptions shall be marked, within the instruments, in a legible and indelible manner:

Class I or class II or class III,

Kg/m³ or% vol, or% more,

20 ° C,

ethanol,

manufacturer's name or identification mark,

instrument identification number,

model approval sign or, if applicable, EEC model approval sign "e".

7.2 Optionally, the mass of the instrument, expressed with an approximation of milligrams, may be entered in the deposit.

8. Maximum tolerated errors and verification

8.1 The maximum error tolerated in alcoholimeters and alcohol areometers is fixed at:

a semi-step, in more or less, for each measured value, for the instruments of Class I;

a step, in more or less, for each measured value, for Class II and III instruments.

8.2 The verification shall be carried out at least three points, chosen along the entire nominal field of the scale.

9. Thermometers used to determine the alcoholic strength

9.1 Termometers incorporated into the instrument used to determine the alkalimetric title.

If the instrument used to determine the alcoholic title belongs to Class II or III, it may be incorporated in a thermometer of the type of mercury dilation, in glass.

9.1.1 The thermometer will have a graduated scale of 0.1 ° C, 0.2 ° C or 0.5 ° C and may not be graduated 0 ° C.

9.1.2 The minimum step length will be:

0.8 mm for the graduated thermometers at 0.1 ° C and 0.2 ° C.

1.0 mm for the 0.5 ° C graduated thermometers.

9.1.3 The thickness of the strokes must not be greater than the fifth part of the step length.

9.1.4 The maximum tolerated error, in more or less, will be from:

0.10 ° C if the thermometer is 0.1 ° C.

0.20 ° C if the thermometer is graduated at 0.2 ° C or 0.5 ° C.

9.1.5 At the time of the early verification or, where appropriate, of the original EEC verification, the error of the built-in thermometer shall be determined at least three points in the field of the scale.

9.2 Termometers not incorporated into the instrument used for the determination of the alcoholic title.

9.2.1 If the instrument used to determine the alcoholic title belongs to Class I, the thermometer used with this instrument shall be:

Good of the type of metal resistance that allows the temperature of the hydroalcoholic mixture to be determined, respecting the maximum tolerated errors of ± 0,10 ° C,

or the type of mercury dilation, in glass, with a graduated scale of 0.1 ° C or 0.05 ° C.

Mercury thermometers must be marked 0 ° C, the minimum length of the step shall be 0,8 mm and the thickness of the strokes shall not exceed one fifth of the length of the step.

The maximum tolerated error, in more or less, will be equal to one step.

9.2.2. If the instrument used to determine the alcoholic title belongs to Class II or III, the thermometer used with this instrument shall be of the type of mercury dilation, in glass.

9.2.2.1 It will take a graduated scale of 0.1 ° C, 0.2 ° C or 0.5 ° C. It will take graduation 0 ° C.

9.2.2.2 The minimum step length will be:

0,8 mm for graduated thermometers at 0,1 ° C or 0.2 ° C,

1.0 mm for the 0.5 ° C graduated thermometers.

9.2.2.3 The thickness of the strokes shall not exceed one fifth of the length of the step.

9.2.2.4 The maximum tolerated error, in more or less, will be:

0.10 ° C if the thermometer is 0.1 ° C.

0.20 ° C if the thermometer is graduated at 0.2 ° C or 0.5 ° C.

10. Primitive check mark

10.1 On the back of alcoholimeters and alcohol areometers, in the upper third of the tank, a free space will be reserved for the placement of the primitive check mark.

10.2 If marking is carried out with the aid of the arening technique, the letters and figures shall be interrupted in appropriate places, in order not to impair their readability.

ANNEX II

This annex sets out how to express the volumic or mass alcoholic title and gives a formula for establishing the tables that will be used to determine this title according to the measures taken.

1. Definition: The volume of alcohol of a hydroalcoholic mixture is the ratio of the volume of alcohol, in pure state, to the temperature of 20 ° C, contained in said mixture and the total volume of this mixture at the same temperature.

The mass alcoholic strength of a hydroalcoholic mixture is the ratio of the mass of alcohol contained in that mixture to the total mass of the mixture.

2. Expression of alcoholic titles: Alcoholimetric titles shall be expressed in parts of alcohol per 100 parts of the mixture.

The corresponding symbols are:

"% vol" for the volumetric alcoholic title.

"% plus" for the mass alcohol degree.

3. Determination of the alcoholic title: The operations to be performed to obtain the alcoholic title with the aid of the instruments referred to in Annex I to this provision shall be:

The reading of the alcoholeter or the areometer, at the temperature of the mixture,

the measure of the temperature of the mixture.

The results will be obtained according to international alcohol tables.

4. Formula for calculating the international alcoholic tables applicable to ethanol and water mixtures: The volumic mass p, expressed in kilograms per cubic meter (Kg/m³), of a mixture of ethanol and water at temperature t, expressed in degrees Celsius, will be given by the following formula depending on:

From the mass title p, expressed by a decimal number (example: For a mass title of 12%: p = 0.12);

temperature t, expressed in degrees Celsius (EIPT 68);

of the numeric coefficients that are listed below.

The formula is valid for temperatures between-20 ° C and + 40 ° C.