Viscosity of sea water solutions

Abstract The kinematic viscosity of sea water solutions and concentrates up to 11% salt by weight and from 0 to 200°C have been measured in a pressurized glass capillary viscometer. All precipitation was prevented during testing; carbonates and hydroxides by slight acidification (to pH 4.5) with concentrated (36 N ) sulfuric acid, and calcium sulfate by preheating and filtration under pressure. The precision of the results is ± 0.001 centistokes. Existing data on density of sea water solutions were correlated and used to calculate the dynamic viscosity in centipoises. Smoothed values presented should be accurate to ± 0.003 centipoises above 20°C and ± 0.005 below 20°. The results compare well with other authors' values for synthetic sea water.