ISO 6142-1:2015 specifies a gravimetric method for the preparation of calibration gas mixtures in cylinders with traceable values for the amount-of-substance fraction (amount fraction) of one or more components. This part of ISO 6142 describes a method for calculating the uncertainty associated with the amount fraction of each component. This uncertainty calculation requires the evaluation of the contributions to the uncertainty due to factors including the weighing process, the purity of the components, the stability of the mixture, and the verification of the final mixture.

ISO 6142-1:2015 is only applicable to mixtures of gaseous or totally vaporized components, which may be introduced into the cylinder in the gaseous or liquid state. Both binary and multi-component gas mixtures (including natural-gas type mixtures) are covered by this part of ISO 6142. Methods for the batch production of more than one mixture in a single process are not included in this part of ISO 6142.

ISO 6142-1:2015 requires estimation of the stability of the mixture for its intended life time (maximum storage life), but it is not for use with components that react with each other unintentionally. This part of ISO 6142 also requires the impurities in each parent gas or liquid used in the preparation of the mixture to be assessed and quantified.