Kilogram could lose its excess weight via suntan

New scanning techniques have shown that the official kilogram weight is likely to have gained weight over the years. But rather than indulge in traditional dieting to get rid of the excess micrograms, the answer could be a cleansing dose of UV radiation.

The Theta-probe XPS machine shows that the International Prototype Kilogram -- the standard kilo by which all others are measured -- as well as its forty duplicates are likely to be several micrograms heavier than when first employed in 1875.

The reason for the weight gain is a build up of surface grime and contaminants in the form of hydrocarbons. But the IPK and its duplicates are dotted around the globe and accumulating surface dirt at different rates.

"Statute decrees the IPK is the kilogram," explains research lead Peter Cumpson, Professor of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) at Newcastle University. "It doesn't really matter what it weighs as long as we are all working to the same exact standard -- the problem is there are slight differences. Around the world, the IPK and its 40 replicas are all growing at different rates, diverging from the original.

"We're only talking about a very small change -- less than 100 micrograms. But mass is such a fundamental unit that even this very small change is significant and the impact of a slight variation on a global scale is absolutely huge. There are cases of international trade in high-value materials -- or waste -- where every last microgram must be accounted for."
The solution to the problem could lie in treating the weights with a simple combination of UV light and ozone.

"What we have done at Newcastle is effectively give these surfaces a suntan. By exposing the surface to a mixture of UV and ozone we can remove the carbonaceous contamination and potentially bring prototype kilograms back to their ideal weight."

WIRED
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