Density determination (pycnometer) of water soluble solids (fertilizer)

[Matthi05]

I'm looking for liquids I can use for my tests on granular fertilizers.

Water is not an option because fertilizers dissolve in it.

I'm thinking of vegetable oils like rapeseed oil, soybean oil or a mineral oil like liquid paraffin. But the relative high viscosity is not desirable.

 

If possible: non-dangerous/toxic liquids.

 

Can anybody help me out?

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Matthi05

[studiot]

White spirit is probably your best bet.

 

However you would need to test for insolubility of your powder.

[Sensei]

Why not use gas pycnometer?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_pycnometer

You wouldn't have to worry about which liquid to use..

[John Cuthber]

Why not use gas pycnometer?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_pycnometer

You wouldn't have to worry about which liquid to use..

It's roughly a thousand times easier to weigh liquids than gases.

[Sensei]

It's roughly a thousand times easier to weigh liquids than gases.

Gas pycnometer doesn't measure mass, but volume of gas.

 

"Gas expansion pycnometer is also known as constant volume gas pycnometer. The simplest type of gas pycnometer (due to its relative lack of moving parts) consists of two chambers, one (with a removable gas-tight lid) to hold the sample and a second chamber of fixed, known (via calibration) internal volume referred to as the reference volume or added volume."

[John Cuthber]

Fair point, but I'd say it was still about a hundred times easier to measure the weights of some solids and liquids than the pressure of a gas sample.

And the requirement for thermosetting a liquid filled pycnometer is a bit les challenging too.

 

Realistically, "white spirit" is the right answer here.

[studiot]

I'm not sure what the american for 'white spirit' is.

[Matthi05]

Thanks for the reactions. White spirit seems a good option.

 

I will also use a gas-pycnometer. But I want to look at the different types of density.

http://www.particletesting.com/Repository/Files/density_determinations.pdf

Edited November 3, 2015 by Matthi05