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CALIBRATION OF HYDROMETER BY HYDROSTATIC WEIGHING SYSTEM AT

DENSITY LABORATORY, NML-SIRIM

Conference Paper · August 2006

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 CALIBRATION OF HYDROMETER
BY HYDROSTATIC WEIGHING SYSTEM
AT DENSITY LABORATORY, NML-SIRIM
Mohd FazrulHisyam b.Mohd Nor, Hafidzah Othman, Md Nor Md Chik
Thermophysical Section, National Metrology Laboratory, SIRIM Berhad, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the calibration of hydrometer within the range of 600 kg/m3 to 2000kg/m3 at respective
surface tension by using hydrostatic weighing system, which is currently practised in Density Laboratory of
National Metrology Laboratory (NML), SIRIM Berhad. This system weighed the hydrometers while they
were partially immersed in the distilled water. A sinker was added to the hydrometers, which ranges were
below than the density of the distilled water. Surface tension of the distilled water was measured by
Wilhelmy plate and the constant value of the distilled water density was obtained from the British Standard
(BS718: 1991 – table 11).

1. INTRODUCTION

Hydrometer is an apparatus which is used to measure the density of a wide range of liquids. There are
many types of hydrometers: Density hydrometer, Specific Gravity hydrometer, Percentage hydrometer and
Arbitrary scale hydrometer [1]. It floats with the stem partially immersed in liquids to an extent depending
on the density of the liquids. When hydrometer is floating in a liquid, the balancing equation becomes as
follows,

Fm + FST = Fw + Fa (1.1)
where:
Fm = mass force FST = surface tension force
Fw = water force Fa = air force

There are two methods that can be used to calibrate the hydrometer. There are comparison method and
hydrostatic weighing method. In the comparison method, the reading of two hydrometers will be compared
and this method seemed to be the simplest method [2]. The equipment involved in this method are the
calibrated reference hydrometer and also the unit under test hydrometer. Both were being immersed in the
same liquid.

On the other hand, in the hydrostatic weighing method the hydrometer was hanged from the pan of a
balance. Then the weights of the hydrometer in air and in liquid were determined. This method seemed to
have a higher accuracy compared to the first method. The hydrostatic weighing method can also measure
the density of solid and liquid [3].

At NML-SIRIM, the hydrometer was calibrated by hydrostatic weighing system since 2004 and it was
based on Cuckow’s method [4]. Before that, the hydrometer was calibrated by comparison method.
Hydrostatic weighing system at NML-SIRIM was verified with hydrostatic weighing system at
Measurement Standard Laboratory, New Zealand in October 2003 [5]. The results showed that the error
differences were approximately constant and smaller than one of the hydrometer type L20 graduation [6,7].

2. THEORY

The hydrostatic weighing method was used for the calibration of hydrometers. In this method, the
hydrometers were weighed while they were partially immersed in a liquid of known density. A sinker (true
mass,ms and density,ρs) was added to the hydrometers which had lower density value than that of the liquid.
The calculated density was determined by using equation 1.2 and then was compared with the hydrometer
scales reading to obtain the scale correction.

ρa/8)M + πDSocosAo/g ] + ρa
ρ = [(1-ρ (1.2)
Vi
where:
ρa : air density M: mass of the hydrometer
D: stem diameter So:surface tension
Ao: contact angle g: gravity
Vi: volume immersed

3. APPARATUS

The equipment used in hydrostatic weighing system were the electronic balance, digital thermometer,
hydrometer bath and chiller. Figure 1 illustrated the system involved in calibrating hydrometers in the
Density Laboratory, NML-SIRIM.

Balance

Marble

Hook

Hydrometer
holder
Bath

Chiller

Digital
Thermometer

Figure 1: Hydrostatic weighing system in the laboratory

The hydrometer was hanged to a precise electronic balance by using hooks and hydrometer holder. The
balance (model AX305; capacity 300g) was placed on the 8 cm thickness marble stage. The balance was
used to measure the mass of the hydrometer in air and also in the distilled water with known density value.

The hydrometer bath was a glass cylinder containing the distilled water for thermal control and stability
and it was transparent for viewing the level of immersion of the hydrometer. A chiller was used to stabilize
the temperature of the distilled water.

A digital thermometer (model F250; resolution 0.001°C) was used to measure the temperature of the
distilled water in the hydrometer bath. A precise digital thermometer with an accuracy of 0.025°C was used
to determine the density of the distilled water.

Other equipment which were used in this hydrostatic weighing system were a digital manometer, a digital
micrometer and also a Wilhelmy plate. The purposes of all these equipment were to measure the air density
in the laboratory, the diameter of hydrometer’s stem and also the surface tension of the distilled water
respectively. All measurement were governed by equation 1.2 which was to determine the density scale of
the hydrometer.
4. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

The measurement of the diameter of the hydrometer’s stem using digital micrometer was the first
measurement technique prior to the hydrostatic weighing system. The purpose of this measurement was to
determine the surface tension force, FST in the meniscus of the hydrometer. The hydrometer should be
clean, dry and at the temperature of the liquid before being immersed in the distilled water [8]. So, it was
crucial to clean the hydrometer before immersing it into the liquid especially at hydrometer’s stem. The
chemical used for cleaning was a Decon 90 while distilled water was used to rinse the hydrometer.

Sinker weight determination was used when calibrating hydrometer range below the density of distilled
water. This means that the sinker will be weighed using the balance in the distilled water if the range of the
hydrometer was below 1000 kg/m3. Then the mass of the hydrometer in air was weighed by using the hook
and the hydrometer holder. The hook and hydrometer holder were used for hanging the hydrometer from
the balance.

The surface tension of the liquid was determined using the Wilhelmy plate method [9]. Therefore, the
weight of the dry plate was first determined before the hydrometer bath was lifted up until the liquid had
made contact with the plate and then further immersed for about 3mm. The hydrometer bath was then
slowly pulled down until the bottom of the plate was at the liquid level. Then the weight of the wet plate
was obtained from the balance. For hydrometer measurement, the hydrometer bath was lowered down until
the water level was at the first scale. When the balance readout had stabilized, the balance reading and
digital thermometer reading were recorded. Temperature of the distilled water was very important because
the density value could be determined by using Kell’s equation [10].

5. UNCERTAINTY SOURCE

Table 1 shows the analysis of estimated uncertainty at 95% confidence level. A list of significant
measurement uncertainties is given in the table 1. All the parameters in Table 1 were obtained in section 2
and equation 1.2. The expanded uncertainty in this hydrostatic weighing system was about 0.00005 g/ml.

Parameter Uncertainty (g/ml)

Ambient Pressure (hPa) 7.0x10-7
Ambient Temperature (°C) 6.1x10-7
Stem Diameter (mm) 7.7x10-7
Surface Tension (mN/m) 5.3x10-6
Liquid Temperature (°C) 6.5x10-6
Hydrometer mass (g) 1.9x10-6
Sinker mass in water (g) 1.3x10-5
Sinker Temperature (°C) 8.7x10-7
Balance reading (g) 3.3x10-6
Repeatability (g/ml) 1.4x10-5
Density of liquid (g/ml) 7.0x10-6
Combined Uncertainty, UC 2.2x10-5
Expanded Uncertainty (k=2) 0.00005
Table 1: Analysis of estimated uncertainty at 95% confidence level

6. CONCLUSIONS

The hydrostatic weighing system is currently being practised at the Density Laboratory, NML-SIRIM for
calibrating hydrometers of all types and ranges of hydrometers. A sinker was added to the hydrometers,
which density ranges were below than that of the distilled water. Electronic balance, digital thermometer,
hydrometer bath, chiller and Wilhelmy plate are parts of the hydrostatic weighing system. The distilled
water was used as a standard liquid in this system and the density value of the distilled water was obtained
from table 11 British Standard [10].
 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Appreciation is expressed to Mrs. Irene Safinaz Hassan, Metrologist NML for editing this paper and to the
Thermophysical Section and Mechanical Section NML-SIRIM for carrying out the calibration of the
thermometer, balance, Wilhelmy plate and manometer.

8. REFERENCES

[1] J.B.Rands and P.H.Bigg, “Hydrometers and Hydrometry”, National Physical Laboratory , (1961)

[2] Mark Clarkson and Barbara May,“Density Measurement”Measurement Standards Laboratory,17 (2001)

[3] KH Chang and YJ Lee, “Hydrostatic Weighing at KRISS”, Metrologia 41, pp S95-S99 (2004)

[4] F.W.Cuckow, “A New Method of High Accuracy for the calibration of reference standard hydrometers”
J.Soc.Chem.Ind.68,44-49(1949)

[5] Mark Clarkson and Mohd FazrulHisyam Mohd Nor, “Bilateral Comparison of Standard Hydrometer
between IRL, New Zealand and NML-SIRIM, Malaysia” 2nd ISMPAEM, pp 167-173 (2004)

[6] “Density Hydrometers”, DIN 12791 (1969)

[7] “Laboratory glassware-Density hydrometers for general purposes”, ISO 649/1 (1981)

[8] J.C.Hughes, “Testing of Hydrometers”, National Bureau of Standards Circular 555, (1954)

[9] Mohd FazrulHisyam Mohd Nor, “Surface Tension Liquid Measurement System at Density Laboratory,
NML-SIRIM”, IMFP (2005)

[10] “Specification of density hydrometer”, BS718:1991 (1991)

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