Varnish specific weight and weight of 1 liter

In painting work, paint and varnish coatings are among the most important materials. Varnish production is handled by a specialized branch of manufacturing.

Varnishes are liquid or semi-liquid substances that, after drying, form a thin transparent glossy film on the coated surface, reliably protecting the coating from physical and chemical damage. In essence, this is a mixture of certain substances, one of which is solid, transparent and non-volatile, while the other is liquid and volatile.

Types of Varnishes

Synthetic or natural resins are commonly used as the solid component in the varnish industry. They dissolve in liquids that later determine the properties of the final product. Solvents include:

• alcohol;

• essential oils;

• drying oil;

• acetone;

• water and others.

Today there are solvent-free varnish types. Their low viscosity is provided by special additives, oligomers. Such varnishes turn solid only in the presence of a catalyst, or hardener. Ordinary varnish mixtures harden during oxidative polymerization or solvent evaporation.

The most widely used solvents, by which the main groups of varnishes are divided, are:

• alcohol;

• turpentine;

• oils, including drying oils and copals.

Alkyd varnishes, nitro varnishes, bituminous, epoxy, petroleum-polymer, alkyd-carbamide, polyurethane and polyacrylate varnishes are also distinguished. Each of these types has its own technical characteristics, application features and operating properties.

Varnish Weight

The specific weight of varnish, or varnish density, is an important indicator for this construction material. Paint and varnish products are purchased by weight, while in use it is convenient to count in liters. Therefore, when it is necessary to find out the weight of 1 liter of varnish, additional information is often needed. Most often the question is how many kilograms are in a one-liter can of varnish, because available information often contains only specific weight or density measured in kg/m³ or g/cm³.

For many common varnishes, the approximate density is around 0.91-0.93 kg/l. This means that 1 liter of such varnish weighs about 920 g. But this is not a universal value: water-based, alkyd, polyurethane, epoxy and nitro varnishes may differ noticeably in density. For household estimates this guide is acceptable, while for large volumes it is better to use the manufacturer data sheet or weigh a control volume.