A Small, Inexpensive Apparatus for the Determination of the Density of Powdered Materials

Abstract

A small inexpensive apparatus for measuring the density of powders at an accuracy of 1% or better is presented. Since the working medium is a gas, the density of air or solvent sensitive samples can easily be measured with this apparatus in a glove box. The measurement of density by the conventional liquid immersion technique for materials that are powders is usually difficult to perform and prone to large errors. The main problems are caused by gas trapped between particle grains, the lack of wetting of the solid by the liquid, and possibly chemical reaction between the solid and the liquid. A standard closed volume is connected to a pressure transducer and to a calibrated piston. The closed volume is formed by covering a hole drilled in a metal block with a plate and o-ring so that a sample may be included inside. The apparatus is first calibrated when the closed volume contains only gas (near atmospheric pressure) and no sample. The piston is moved a fixed distance to produce a volume change. (AW)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 17, 1989
Accession Number
ADA215393

Entities

People

  • D. A. Vennos
  • F. J. Disalvo
  • M. Y. Chern
  • R. D. Mariani

Organizations

  • Cornell University Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemistry
  • Classification
  • Crystal Structure
  • Crystals
  • Gas Laws
  • Ideal Gas Law
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • O Rings
  • Pressure Transducers
  • Security
  • Strain Gages
  • Transducers
  • Universities

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Materials Science