8 - Advice

Physical properties of fluids

Density - Volumetric mass Vapour pressure

Viscosity
The question of the physical properties of fluids arises during the
selection of a dosing pump (viscosity for example) as well as when
calculating the dimensions of its installation (notably the NPSH
calculation).
Density - Volumetric mass
Viscosity conversion table
Vapour pressure
In order to boil a liquid it is generally simply heated. Another method
is to place it under a vacuum. Thus water at 20 C begins to boil at
0.023 bar (or 23 millibar) absolute pressure. A product said to be
volatile has a much higher vapour pressure. This type of boiling is
often see in hydraulics, it is in fact the cavitation phenomenon.

The volumetric mass is generally expressed in kilograms per cubic Some vapour pressures at 20 C and some particular cases:
meter (kg/m3) and density is the ratio of the volumetric mass of a
liquid compared to that of water. Water 0.023 bar
Ethanol 0.060 bar
Some density values of common industrial products:
Acetone 0.25 bar - solvent, volatile
Water 1 (by definition) Bleach Unstable, easily evaporates
Acetone 0. 79 Generally stable, or close to
Liquified gas
Hydrazine 1.01 liquid/gas equilibrium
Fruit juice 1.04
Bleach 150 g/l 1.21
Viscosity conversion table
Caustic soda [49%] 1.51 DYNAMIC VISCOSITY KINETIC VISCOSITY
Concen. sulphuric acid 1.84
Centipoise Pascal second Degree ENGLER Centistoke Square millimeter
(cp) (Pa.s) (E) (cst) per second (mm/s)
Viscosity 1 0.001 1 1 1
2 0.002 1.10 2 2
Viscosity is an expression of a fluids resistance to flow. The notion of 3 0.003 1.20 3 3
viscosity is not always easy to understand: certain fluids are said to 4 0.004 1.30 4 4
be Newtonian, like milk and oil, and their viscosity depends only on 5 0.005 1.39 5 5
their temperature; others are said to be thixotropic or rheopect and 6 0.006 1.48 6 6
their viscosity also depends on the applied shear force, toothpaste or
7 0.007 1.57 7 7
ballpoint pen ink for example.
8 0.008 1.65 8 8
The common unit of dynamic viscosity is the centipoises (cp) whereas 9 0.009 1.74 9 9
the official unit is the Pascal second (Pa.s) which is the equivalent of 10 0.01 1.84 10 10
1,000 centipoises. Other units, such as centistokes (cst) or millimeter 20 0.02 2.90 20 20
square per second (mm2/s) measure the kinetic viscosity of a product.
40 0.04 5.30 40 40
Some dynamic viscosity values of common fluids: 60 0.06 7.90 60 60
80 0.08 10.50 80 80
Air 0.02 cp
Water 1 cp 100 0.1 13.20 100 100
Milk 2 cp 200 0.2 26.40 200 200
Cooking oil 70 cp 400 0.4 52.80 400 400
Caustic soda [49%] 80 cp 600 0.6 79.20 600 600
Ballpoint pen ink 2,000 cp 800 0.8 106 800 800
Polyelectrolytes 1,500 to 25,000 cp
1000 1 132 1000 1000
Toothpaste 100,000 cp
5000 5 660 5000 5000

Dynamic viscosity (centipoise) = Kinetic viscosity (centistoke) x density

1 cp = 1 milli Pascal second (mPa.s)

Advice 8 - Physical properties of fluids

June 2007 www.miltonroy-europe.com