Designation: E100 – 14

Standard Specification for ASTM Hydrometers1

This standard is issued under the fixed designation E100; the number immediately following the
designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A
number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an
editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers glass hydrometers of various scale graduation systems, as required by the
ASTM Test Methods in which they are used.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It
is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and
determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:2
D287 Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products (Hydrometer Method)
D1250 Guide for Use of the Petroleum Measurement Tables
D3290 Specification for Bond and Ledger Papers for Permanent Records (Withdrawn 2010)3
E1 Specification for ASTM Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers
E77 Test Method for Inspection and Verification of Thermometers
E126 Test Method for Inspection, Calibration, and Verification of ASTM Hydrometers
E344 Terminology Relating to Thermometry and Hydrometry
E2251 Specification for Liquid-in-Glass ASTM Thermometers with Low-Hazard Precision Liquids
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—The definitions given inTerminology E344 apply.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard
3.2.1 ledger paper, n—a paper characterized by strength, high tearing resistance, eraseability, water
resistance, ink receptivity, uniformity of surface, and smoothness.
3.2.1.1 Discussion—Originally, ledger paper was used especially for pen and ink records. Most ledger
papers are surface sized, frequently subjected to appreciable wear, and shall have a high degree of
permanence and durability.
3.2.2 length of the scale, n—length of the nominal range in the stem, not including graduations
extending above and below the nominal limits.
3.2.3 relative density (formerly specific gravity), n—ratio of the mass of a given volume of material at a
stated temperature to the mass of an equal volume of gas-free distilled water at the same or different
temperature. Both reference temperatures shall be explicitly stated.
3.2.3.1 Discussion—Common reference temperatures include 60°F/60°F, 20°C/20°C, 20°C/4°C. The
historic term specific gravity may still be found.
3.2.4 specific gravity, n—an historic term, replaced by relative density.
3.2.4.1 Discussion—hydrometers manufactured to this standard may be marked sp. gr., rel. density, or
with both designations. The two terms are both equally acceptable in this standard and are used
interchangeably.
3.2.5 thermohydrometer, n—glass hydrometer having an integral thermometer.
3.2.6 top of the hydrometer, n—top of the finished instrument.
3.2.7 total length, n—overall length of the finished instrument.
1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E20 on Temperature Measurement and is the direct
responsibility of Subcommittee E20.05 on Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers and Hydrometers.
Current edition approved May 1, 2014. Published September 2014. Originally approved in 1953. Last previous
edition approved in 2010 as E100 – 10. DOI: 10.1520/E0100-14.
2 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at
service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document
Summary page on the ASTM website.
3 The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on www.astm.org.

4. Specifications
4.1 Individual hydrometers shall conform to the detailed specifications in Table 1 and to the general
requirements specified in Sections 5 – 15.
4.2 Hydrometers shall be subjected to the inspection criteria found in Section 16 and the standardization
criteria found in Section 17.
4.3 Hydrometers manufactured to previous revisions of this specification shall retain the same ASTM
status as those meeting current specifications.
4.4 At the time of purchase, scale errors shall be within the maximum scale error found in Table 1.
5. Type
5.1 Hydrometers shall be of the constant-mass, variabledisplacement type. Hydrometers shall be made
of glass, except for the scale, ballast, and the thermometric liquid of thermohydrometers.
5.2 The outer surface of the stem and body shall be symmetrical about the vertical axis. There shall be no
uneven or unnecessary thickening of the walls, and no abrupt changes or constrictions that would hinder
thorough cleaning or tend to trap air bubbles when the instrument is immersed.
5.3 The hydrometer shall always float with its axis vertical in liquids for which it is intended.
5.4 The hydrometer shall be thoroughly dry on the inside when sealed. The top of the stem shall be
neatly rounded without unnecessary thickening.
5.5 The glass shall be smooth, transparent, and free of bubbles, cracks, strain patterns, or other
imperfections that might interfere with the use of the hydrometer. The glass shall adequately resist the
reaction of chemical agents to which hydrometers may be exposed and shall have suitable thermal
properties to permit its use over the range of temperatures to
which it may be subjected. In general, glasses suitable for constructing the bulbs of thermometers are
satisfactory for hydrometers.
5.6 The API hydrometers are intended to be used in conjunction with Test Method D287, hydrometer
readings being corrected using Guide D1250, IP 200. Therefore, these hydrometers shall be made of
glass having a coefficient of volumetric or cubical expansion of approximately 0.000023/ 1°C or
0.0000128/1°F at 15.56°C (60°F).
6. Body
6.1 The preferred shapes for the bodies of hydrometers are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
7. Ballast
7.1 Material used for ballast shall be secured to the lower part of the body, and no loose material of any
sort may be inside a hydrometer. When cement is used to hold the ballast securely in place, this cement
shall not soften below 105°C (221°F).
7.2 A solid material, such a shot, may be placed in a small bulb below the main bulb of the hydrometer
and then melted or secured by cement.
7.3 If steel shot is used and sealed with wax, the wax shall not soften below 105°C (221°F).
7.4 Mercury shall not be used as ballast material in plain form hydrometers.
8. Stem
8.1 The stem shall be uniform in cross section, with no perceptible irregularities. It shall extend at least
15 mm above the top graduation and remain cylindrical for at least 3 mm below the lowest graduation.
9. Scale
9.1 The material for the scale is not specified. However, if paper is used, it shall only be ledger paper,
meeting the specifications in Specification D3290. The scale may be anchored by a design which prevents
it from moving; otherwise, it shall be fixed in place with cement that will not soften below 105°C (221°F)
and will not deteriorate with time. The paper shall show no evidence of scorching or charring when
received or after use at 105°C (221°F).The scale shall be straight and without twist.
10. Markings
10.1 Graduation lines and inscriptions shall be in a permanent black marking material, such as India ink.
10.2 All graduation lines shall be straight, fine lines not exceeding one fifth of the graduation interval in
thickness, and in no case more than 0.2 mm. The lines shall be perpendicular to the vertical axis of the
hydrometer. The lengths of main division lines, subdivision lines, and intermediate lines, if used, shall be
so chosen as to facilitate readings. The shortest lines shall be at least 2 mm long.
10.3 All numbers on API hydrometers shall be complete. The numbers for the 0.050 graduation lines on
relative density (specific gravity) and density hydrometers shall include the values for the first three
decimal places, for example: 0.750, 0.900, 1.100; the other numbered lines may be abbreviated.
10.4 Relative density (specific gravity) hydrometers may be marked sp. gr., rel. density, or with both
designations. The two terms are both acceptable in this standard and are used interchangeably.
10.5 For cemented scales, there shall be a permanent reference mark on the stem or on the scale of the
hydrometer corresponding to a designated reference mark on the scale.
NOTE 1—An etched mark, visible to the naked eye, on the stem corresponding to the first nominal line
on the scale or a red length of glass inside the stem ending at the top nominal line are examples of
acceptable means of scale slip indicators.
11. Graduation
11.1 All hydrometers shall be graduated to read correctly where the plane of the level liquid surface
intersects the stem.
11.2 Hydrometers indicating density shall be graduated to indicate, at the temperature marked on the
scale, the density of liquids in kilograms per cubic metre.
11.3 Relative Density (specific gravity) hydrometers shall be graduated to indicate the ratio of the mass
of a unit volume of the liquid at the stated temperature to the mass of the same volume of gas-free
distilled water at a stated temperature.
11.4 API hydrometers shall be graduated to give degrees of API gravity obtained as follows:
API Gravity,deg =(141.5/(relative density @ 60/60°F))-131.5 (1)
11.5 A list of liquids suitable for comparisons of hydrometers is found in Table 2 of Practice E126.
12. Thermohydrometers
12.1 The thermometer shall be of the mercury-in-glass type.Warning—Mercury has been designated by
EPA and many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause central nervous system, kidney, and
liver damage. Mercury, or its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Caution
should be taken when handling mercury and mercury containing products. See the applicable product
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details and EPA’s website, http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm,
for additional information. Users should be aware that selling mercury or mercury containing products,
or both, into your state may be prohibited by state law.
12.2 The capillary stem shall be essentially parallel to the hydrometer axis.
12.3 When the thermometer scale is located in the stem of the hydrometer, the scale shall be in red to
distinguish it from the hydrometer scale.
12.4 When the thermometer scale is in the stem, calibration and testing of the thermometer shall be
based on immersion of the thermometer scale to the level of the mercury in the thermometer stem
(total immersion).
12.5 The requirements in Section 9 for the scale of the hydrometer shall apply also to the scale of the
thermometer.
12.6 The thermometer shall be calibrated in accordance with Test Method E77.
13. Special Inscription
13.1 There shall appear on the scale or an extension thereof, or on a suitable label cemented
permanently to the inside of the instrument, an inscription that indicates the purpose of the
hydrometer. If necessary, this inscription should denote the liquid for which the hydrometer is intended,
the temperature at which it is to be used, and the character of the indication.
13.2 The designation of standard temperature and reference temperature may be abbreviated, for
example, sp gr 60/60°F, means that the hydrometer indicates at 60°F the relative density (specific
gravity) of the liquid, referred to water at 60°F as unity.
13.3 The inscription shall include also the hydrometer number (1H, 6H, and so forth) but not the year
designation (62, and so forth); a unique serial number; and the name or trademark of the manufacturer
or vendor.
14. Standardization
14.1 Hydrometers shall be calibrated and verified per Practice E126.
14.2 When calibrations are made at three scale points, the calibration points shall include at least 80 %
of the graduated interval of the scale. Neither of the extreme points shall be farther from the nearest
end of the graduated scale than a distance represented by 25 % of the length of the graduated scale. No
two adjacent points shall be farther apart than 50 % of the length of the graduated scale.
14.3 When calibrating thermohydrometers, the thermometer in the instrument shall not be used to
determine the temperature of the bath. An ASTM Gravity Thermometer as prescribed in Specifications
E1 (ASTM 12C/ASTM 12F or ASTM 136C/ ASTM 136F) or E2251 (ASTM S12C/ASTM S12F), or an
instrument of equal sensitivity and accuracy, shall be used.
15. Case
15.1 The hydrometer shall be supplied in suitable packaging on which shall appear the ASTM number,
name, and range, as given in Table 1.
15.2 The thermohydrometer packaging shall meet the requirements of 15.1 and shall also ensure that no
mercury leakage will occur should the thermohydrometer break in shipment or storage.
Thermohydrometers shall be properly labeled to warn users/handlers that the instrument inside the
packaging contains mercury.
16. Procedure for Inspections
16.1 Manufacturers shall perform the following inspections before releasing finished instruments. For
quality assurance purposes a robust percentage of each lot of instruments shall be inspected. If a
Certificate of Conformance, however named, is issued for each instrument, the certificate shall state the
quality assurance procedure the manufacturer uses to issue the certificate.
16.2 Visual Inspection:
16.2.1 Inspect the hydrometer carefully to be certain there are no cracks, fissures, deep scratches, rough
areas, or other obvious damage to the glass. Reject the hydrometer if any of these defects are present.
The glass of the hydrometer shall meet all the requirements of 5.5.
16.2.2 Inspect the hydrometer carefully for loose pieces of ballast or other foreign material within the
instrument. If present, reject the instrument.
16.2.3 Inspect the paper scale within the hydrometer stem. The paper scale shall be straight and without
twist.
16.2.4 Inspect for the presence of a scale slippage indicator. If a permitted scale slippage indicator is
damaged, incorrectly positioned, or not present, reject the instrument.
16.3 Dimensional Inspection:
16.3.1 Check the linear dimensions and diameters for compliance with the requirements in Table 1 by
comparing the hydrometer using graduated metal scales of the conventional type or metal templates
with lines ruled at suitable distances from reference points corresponding to the maximum and
minimum values defined in Table 1.Amicrometer may also be used for checking diameters.
16.3.2 Inspect the hydrometers for correctness of the graduation spacing. API hydrometers are
graduated with equal spacing. The interval between graduations of density and relative density (specific
gravity) hydrometers is smaller near the bottom of the scale. The proper spacing shall be obtained from
the following formula:

where:
l = distance from the top line to any line, d, between the top and the bottom,
L = distance between the top and the bottom graduations of the scale,
d2 = density value, or relative density (specific gravity), of the bottom line, and
d1 = density value, or relative density (specific gravity), of the top line.
16.3.3 The scale lengths for the integral thermometer in the thermohydrometer shall also be checked
with gradated metal scales or templates for compliance with Table 1.
17. Calibration and Verification
17.1 Hydrometers shall be calibrated or verified, or both, in accordance with Practice E126.
17.2 The thermometer portion of thermohydrometers shall be calibrated or verified, or both, in
accordance with ASTM Standard E77.
18. Keywords
18.1 ballast; body; hydrometers; relative density; specific gravity; stem; thermohydrometers
A For relative densities (specific gravities) less than 0.950, alcoholic solutions may be tested with
hydrometers 84H to 87H
B Indication of the thermometer range is made by the use of the listed designation used as a suffix to the
ASTM hydrometer number. For example, 42HL is an instrument with API gravity range of 22 to 30° API
and thermometer range 0 to 150°F. An instrument with the same gravity range, but a thermometer
range of 60 to 220°F would be designated 42HH. The number 45HM would identify an instrument with
API gravity range of 43 to 51° API and a thermometer range of 30 to 180°F.
C Indication of the thermometer range is made by the use of the listed designation used as a suffix to the
ASTM hydrometer number. For example, 54HL is an instrument with API gravity range of 29 to 41° API
and thermometer range 0 to 150°F. An instrument with the same gravity range, but a thermometer
range of 60 to 220°F would be designated 54HH. The number 57HM would identify an instrument with
API gravity range of 59 to 71° API and a thermometer range of 30 to 180°F