Measuring Actual Styrofoam Volume

[zhazha421]

Hi ,

Is there an equipment or instrument on how to get the actual volume of a styro foam product?

We are qualifying styrofoam and one attributes is its density. Although we can get the weight by a scale. We need to know how can we get the volume to calculate the density.

We ddevised a handmade aquarium-like container and put water in it and submerged the styrofoam and check the displacement by referencing some graduationscales on the glass of the aquirium-like container.

But we are not convinved that this is accurate so we want to buy an equipent or instrument to measure the volume.

Pls help. Thanks.

 

[IRstuff]

I think that Archimedes' Principle should work pretty well. The only caveat would be if there was sufficient surface porosity to affect the measured volume.

The only other way I can see this being done is with a 3-D laser scanner system that would enter the external boundary of the object into some sort of CAD program that would then calculate the volume based on the input data.

TTFN

 

[AmPat27]

If I were doing this, I would not use a scale on the container. I would have an overflow tube, fill the container until it spilled out the overflow and wait till the overflow stopped. Now I would slowly imerse the styrofoam, being carefull to catch the run-off of the container through the overflow tube. The exact volume of the displaced water can then be directly measured.

Terry

 

[MintJulep]

Or you could mark the level of water in the container before you place the object in. Submerge the object and mark the level. Remove the object and add water back to the first mark (to compensate for any water that came out with the object). Then, using an accurately graduated measureing beaker, fill to the second mark.