Specifications

AA-40 l Appendix
Understanding Bulk Density
Bulk density is the weight of material in pellet form, where the material has a lot of free
space between pellets. It is not a specification that material suppliers typically provide.
You may need to calculate the bulk density. It is important not to confuse bulk density
with material density, which is the weight of the plastic in solid form without any air
gaps between pellets.
How to calculate the bulk density-
1 You will need a container or bucket that you know the volume of to calculate
the bulk density of your material
2 Weigh the empty container and record the weight.
3 Fill the container with your material, level it off at the top with a straight edge.
Weigh the container with material in it. Record this weight.
4 Subtract the weight of the empty container from the weight of the container
with the material present. The result will be the weight of the material for the vol-
ume of the container.
5 Convert the number you calculated in step 4, to lbs. per cubic foot. (lbs/ft
3
)
For example, if your container had a volume of 0.5 ft
3
and the material weight was
20 lbs., divide 20 lbs by 0.5 ft
3
. The result: The bulk density of the material is
40 lbs/ft
3
.