Gas Viscosities
The figure and coordinates below can be used to determine the viscosity of a gas at various
temperatures. To use the figure, first locate the appropriate X and Y coordinates from the table below for
the gas or vapor in question. Then connect the temperature on the left scale below with the coordinate
point you have located using a straight line that extends to the viscosity reading on the right scale.
To convert viscosity in centipoises to viscosity in g/(cm s), multiply centipoises by 0.01. For example, the
viscosity of “air” at 20 C is about 1.8 x 10-4 g/(cm s).
Coordinates for Use with Figure on Viscosity
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Gas
Acetic acid
Acetone
Acetylene
Air
Ammonia
Argon
X
7.7
8.9
9.8
11.0
8.4
Y
14.3
13.0
14.9
20.0
16.0
No.
29
30
31
32
33
10.5
22.4
34
Benzene
Bromine
Butene
Butylene
Carbon dioxide
Carbon
disulfide
Carbon
monoxide
Chlorine
Chloroform
Cyanogen
Cyclohexane
Ethane
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl alcohol
Ethyl chloride
Ethyl ether
Ethylene
Fluorine
Freon 11
Freon 12
8.5
8.9
9.2
8.9
9.5
13.2
19.2
13.7
13.0
18.7
35
36
37
38
39
8.0
16.0
40
11.0
20.0
41
9.0
8.9
9.2
9.2
9.1
8.5
9.2
8.5
8.9
9.5
7.3
10.6
18.4
15.7
15.2
12.0
14.5
13.2
14.2
15.6
13.0
15.1
23.8
15.1
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
11.1
16.0
54
10.8
10.1
15.3
17.0
55
56
Freon 21
Freon 22
Gas
Freon 113
Helium
Hexane
Hydrogen
3H2 + IN2
Hydrogen
bromide
Hydrogen chloride
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen iodide
Hydrogen sulfide
Iodine
Mercury
Methane
Methyl alcohol
Nitric oxide
Nitrogen
Nitrosyl chloride
Nitrous oxide
Oxygen
Pentane
Propane
Propyl alcohol
Propylene
Sulfur dioxide
Toluene
2,3,3Trimethylbutane
Water
Xenon
X
11.3
10.9
8.6
11.2
11.2
y
14.0
20.5
11.8
12.4
17.2
8.8
20.9
8.8
9.8
9.0
8.6
9.0
18.7
14.9
21.3
18.0
18.4
5.3
22.9
9.9
15.5
8.5
10.9
10.6
8.0
8.8
11.0
7.0
9.7
8.4
9.0
9.6
8.6
15.6
20.5
20.0
17.6
19.0
21.3
12.8
12.9
13.4
13.8
17.0
12.4
9.5
10.5
8.0
9.3
16.0
23.0