FORCE Engineered Products, Inc

P.O. Box 400

72 South Main Street, Suite 12

Homer, NY 13077

Phone: (585) 396-3340

Fax: (585) 396-5942

Viscosity and Specific Gravity of Liquids

Viscosity - Property of a liquid that resists any force tending to produce flow. It is the evidence of cohesion between the particles of a fluid which causes a liquid to offer resistance analogous to friction. An increase in the temperature usually reduces the viscosity; conversely, a temperature reduction usually increases the viscosity. Pipe friction loss increases as viscosity increases.

Specific Gravity - Direct ratio of any liquid's weight to the weight of water at 62 degrees F. Water at 62 degrees F weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon and is designated 1.0 sp. gr.

The specific gravity of a liquid does not alter the centrifugal pump curve at all. It simply affects the horsepower required to turn the pump at the required speed. Correcting for HP requirements for liquids with a specific gravity other than 1.0 is calculated using

BHP = GPM X Head X Specific Gravity / 3960 x Pump Eff

Viscosity Conversion Table

Effects of Viscosity - Viscous liquids tend to increase pump HP, reduce efficiency, reduce capacity and head and increase pipe friction.

Saybolt Universal SSU Stokes Centi Stokes Poises* Centi* Poises Engler Seconds Redwood No. 1 Seconds Typical Liquids at 70°F
31 .010 1.00 .008 .8 54 29 Water
35 .025 2.56 .020 2.05 59 32.1 Kerosene
50 .074 7.40 .059 5.92 80 44.3 No. 2 Fuel Oil
80 .157 15.7 .126 12.6 125 69.2 No. 4 Fuel Oil
100 .202 20.2 .162 16.2 150 85.6 Transformer Oil
200 .432 43.2 .346 34.6 295 170 Hydraulic Oil
300 .654 65.4 .522 52.2 470 254 SAE 10W Oil
500 1.10 110 .88 88.0 760 423 SAE 10 Oil
1,000 2.16 220 1.73 173 1,500 696 SAE 20 Oil
2,000 4.40 440 3.52 352 3,000 1,690 SAE 30 Oil
5,000 10.8 1,080 8.80 880 7,500 4,230 SAE 50 Oil
10,000 21.6 2,160 17.0 1,760 15,000 8,460 SAE 60-70 Oil
50,000 108 10,800 88 8,800 75,000 43,660 Molasses B
100,000 216 21,600 173 17,300 150,000 88,160 Molasses C

*Poises and centipoises are given for oil of .8 spec. gravity.Relationship: centistokes x specific gravity = centipoises

Specific Gravity Tables

For Liquids Heavier than Water
Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon* Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon* Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon*
1.000 8.328 1.208 10.063 1.576 13.126
1.001 8.334 1.218 10.148 1.593 13.270
1.004 8.361 1.229 10.233 1.611 13.417
1.005 8.370 1.239 10.321 1.629 13.568
1.007 8.385 1.250 10.410 1.648 13.722
1.014 8.445 1.261 10.501 1.667 13.880
1.021 8.504 1.272 10.592 1.686 14.041
1.028 8.565 1.283 10.666 1.706 14.207
1.036 8.625 1.295 10.781 1.726 14.376
1.043 8.688 1.306 10.879 1.747 14.549
1.050 8.750 1.318 10.978 1.768 14.727
1.058 8.814 1.330 11.079 1.790 14.908
1.066 8.879 1.343 11.181 1.813 15.095
1.074 8.945 1.355 11.285 1.835 15.285
1.082 9.012 1.368 11.392 1.859 15.482
1.090 9.079 1.381 11.501 1.883 15.683
1.099 9.148 1.394 11.611 1.908 15.889
1.107 9.218 1.408 11.724 1.933 16.101
1.115 9.289 1.421 11.839 1.959 16.315
1.124 9.361 1.436 11.956 1.986 16.539
1.133 9.434 1.450 12.076 2.000 16.656
1.142 9.508 1.465 12.197 - -
1.151 9.584 1.480 12.322 - -
1.160 9.660 1.495 12.449 - -
1.169 9.739 1.510 12.579 - -
1.179 9.818 1.526 12.711 - -
1.189 9.898 1.543 12.849 - -
1.198 9.979 1.559 12.984 - -

*Based on weight of one gallon of water at 60'F in air 3.328 lbs.

For Liquids Lighter than Water
Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon Specific Gravity Pounds per Gallon
1.0760 8.962 0.8235 6.857 0.6667 5.549
1.0599 8.828 0.8140 6.777 0.6604 5.497
1.0443 8.698 0.8046 6.699 0.6542 5.445
1.0291 8.571 0.7955 6.623 0.6481 5.395
1.0143 8.448 0.7865 6.548 0.6422 5.345
1.0000 8.328 0.7778 6.475 0.6364 5.296
0.9859 8.269 0.7692 6.404 0.6306 5.248
0.9722 8.096 0.7609 6.334 0.6250 5.201
0.9589 7.986 0.7527 6.266 0.6195 5.155
0.9459 7.877 0.7447 6.199 0.6140 5.110
0.9333 7.772 0.7368 6.134 0.6087 5.066
0.9211 7.670 0.7292 6.070 - -
0.9091 7.570 0.7216 6.007 - -
0.8974 7.470 0.7143 5.946 - -
0.8861 7.378 0.7071 5.886 - -
0.8750 7.286 0.7000 5.827 - -
0.8642 7.196 0.6931 5.769 - -
0.8537 7.108 0.6863 5.712 - -
0.8434 7.022 0.6796 5.657 - -
0.8333 6.939 0.6731 5.602 - -

Approximate Viscosities & Specific Gravities Of Common Liquids

Liquid Specific Gravity Temp. (°F) Viscosity (SSU) Temp. (°F)
Asphalt        
Virgin* 1.03 60 7,500
2,000		 250
300
Blended        
RC-1, MC-1
or SC-1*		 1.0 60 3,700
1,100		 100
122
RC-3, MC-3
or SC-3*		 1.0 60 9,000
3,700		 122
140
RC-5, MC-5
or SC-5*		 1.0 60 55,000
4,500		 140
180
Gasoline .71 70 31 70
Glucose* 1.4 60 70,000
7,500		 100
150
Glycerine 1.25 70 3,000
800		 70
100
Glycol        
Propylene 1.04 70 240 70
Triethylene 1.13 70 190 70
Diethylene 1.12 70 150 70
Ethylene 1.13 70 90 70
Milk 1.03 70 33 70
Molasses        
"A" 1.43 60 12,000
4,500		 100
130
"B" 1.45 60 33,000
9,000		 100
130
"C"
(Blackstrap)		 1.48 60 130,000
40,000		 100
130
Oils        
Petroleum        
Crude (PA)* .82 60 130
60		 60
100
Crude (TX, OK)* .85 60 400
120		 60
100
Crude (WY, MT)* .87 60 650
180		 60
100
Crude (CA)* .85 60 2,600
380		 60
100
         
Liquid Specific Gravity Temp. (°F) Viscosity (SSU) Temp. (°F)

No. 1 Fuel Oil*

 .88 60 37
34		 70
100
No. 2 Fuel Oil* .88 60 43
37		 70
100
No. 3 Fuel Oil* .88 60 40
36		 100
130
No. 5A Fuel Oil* .88 60 90
60		 100
130
No. 5B Fuel Oil* .88 60 250
175		 100
130
No. 6 Fuel Oil* .88 60 1,700
500		 122
160
SAE No. 10* .91 60 200
105		 100
130
SAE No. 30* .91 60 490
220		 100
130
SAE No. 50* .91 60 1,300
90		 100
210
SAE No. 70* .91 60 2,700
140		 100
210
         
Liquid Specific Gravity Temp. (°F) Viscosity (SSU) Temp. (°F)

SAE No. 90
(Trans.)*

 .91 60 1,200
400		 100
130
SAE No. 140
(Trans.)*		 .91 60 1,600
160		 130
210
SAE No. 250
(Trans.)*		 .91 60 Over 2,300
Over 200		 130
210
Vegetable        
Castor .97 60 1,300
500		 100
130
China Wood .94 160 1,400
600		 70
100
Cocoanut .93 60 140
80		 100
130
Corn .92 60 140
50		 130
212
Cotton Seed .90 60 170
100		 100
130
Linseed, Raw .93 60 140
90		 100
130
Olive .92 60 200
110		 100
130
         
Liquid Specific Gravity Temp. (°F) Viscosity (SSU) Temp. (°F)
Palm .92 60 220
125		 100
130
Peanut .92 60 200
110		 100
130
Rosin .98 60 1,500
600		 100
130
Sesame .92 60 190
110		 100
130
Soya Bean .94 60 170
100		 100
130
Turpentine .86 60 33
32		 60
100
Syrups        
Corn* 1.43 100 250,000
30,000		 100
130
Sugar 1.29
(60 Brix)		 60 230
90		 70
100
  1.30
(62 Brix)		 60 300
110		 70
100
  1.31
(64 Brix)		 60 450
150		 70
100
  1.32
(66 Brix)		 60 650
200		 70
100
  1.34
(68 Brix)		 60 1,000
280		 70
100
  1.35
(70 Brix)		 60 1,700
400		 70
100
  1.36
(72 Brix)		 60 2,700
650		 70
100
  1.38
(74 Brix)		 60 5,500
1,150		 70
100
  1.39
(76 Brix)		 60 10,000
2,000		 70
100
         
Liquid Specific Gravity Temp. (°F) Viscosity (SSU) Temp. (°F)
Tar        
Coke Oven* 1.12 60 5,000
1,000		 70
100
Gas House* 1.24 60 150,000
11,000		 70
100
Road        
RT-2* 1.07 60 250
60		 122
212
RT-6* 1.09 60 1,500
110		 122
212
RT-10* 1.14 60 40,000
300		 122
212
Water 1.0 60 32 70

*Values given are average values and the actual viscosity may be greater or less than the value given.

Tables