PaintAdditives.org offers 3 free paint formulation calculators and 1 quote form: a pigment volume concentration (PVC) calculator, a VOC content calculator in g/L with and without water, a drier calculator on binder solids, and a supplier quote request. Each tool states its result with its basis and unit: PVC in % by volume, VOC in g/L (lb/gal) for a named jurisdiction, drier dosage in % metal on binder solids, and an order quantity from a level with its basis.
This index covers what each tool computes, which question it answers, its units and bases, and how a quote request for paint additives becomes an order quantity. The calculators apply the levels and rules set out for the 15 families of paint additives, and one worked VOC example reads 39 g/L on the US regulatory basis and 20 g/L on the actual basis.
How we check: regulations and classifications are read at the body that issues them, standards at the standards body, and every additive level names its basis and its source; the full method is in methodology and fact-checking.
What Each Calculator and the Quote Form Compute#
Each tool answers one calculation a paint formulator repeats on every batch, and the table lists all 4 with what they compute, their inputs and the method behind them.
| Tool | What it computes | Inputs | Method and basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pigment volume concentration (PVC) calculator | PVC, CPVC estimate and the PVC/CPVC ratio | Pigment, extender and binder quantities with their densities; oil absorption for the CPVC estimate | ASTM D5201-26 assumptions; CPVC from oil absorption as a solventborne estimate |
| Paint VOC content calculator | VOC with water (EU), VOC regulatory and VOC actual (US), in g/L (lb/gal) | Mass of volatiles, water and exempt compounds; volume of material, water and exempt compounds | Directive 2004/42/EC Art. 2(5); 40 CFR 59.406; CARB 2019 Suggested Control Measure |
| Paint drier calculator | Mass of drier product | Binder solids mass, target % metal on binder solids, metal content of the drier | % metal on binder solids |
| Request quotes for paint additives | One specification sent to independent suppliers | Additive family or substance, grade, paint type, annual volume, packaging, delivery country | Order quantity from the target level and its basis |
The three calculators give formulation estimates from the quantities entered, and each tool page carries its method note and limits. The quote request turns an additive level into a quantity and passes that specification to independent suppliers.
Which Tool Answers Which Formulation Question?#
The question picks the tool: pigment loading needs the PVC calculator, a VOC limit check the VOC calculator, an alkyd drier package the drier calculator, and a sourcing decision the quote request. The four questions and their tools are listed below.
- Pigment loading: pigment and extender carried by the binder, by volume, against the CPVC estimate; the PVC calculator.
- VOC compliance: VOC content on the basis of the jurisdiction of sale, EU or US; the VOC content calculator.
- Drier dosage: drier product mass for a target % metal on binder solids in an air-drying alkyd; the drier calculator.
- Sourcing: the additive quantity for a year of paint output, sent as one specification; the quote request.
Every calculator starts from an existing formula built on the paint formulation fundamentals: binder, pigments, extenders, water or solvent, and additives. Raw materials, process order and additive levels are explained under paint formulation fundamentals.
How the Calculators Handle Units and Bases#
The calculators state every result with its basis and unit: PVC in % by volume, VOC in g/L (lb/gal), drier dosage in % metal on binder solids, other levels in % on total formula or ppm active. The table lists each tool's unit, method source and explainer page.
| Tool | Result unit and basis | Method source | Explainer page |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVC calculator | % by volume | ASTM D5201-26; ASTM D281-12(2021) oil absorption | Pigment volume concentration (PVC) and CPVC |
| VOC content calculator | g/L (lb/gal); 1 lb/gal = 119.83 g/L; 1 US gal = 3.785412 L | Directive 2004/42/EC; 40 CFR 59.406 | VOC in paint |
| Drier calculator | % metal on binder solids | Metal content of the drier product | Paint driers |
| Quote request | % on total formula, ppm active on total paint, % metal on binder solids | Order-quantity arithmetic per basis | Paint additive dosage |
Why the PVC Calculator Works in Volumes#
The PVC calculator works in volumes because it follows the ASTM D5201-26 assumptions: ideal mixing with no volume change, retained liquids such as plasticizers and reactive diluents counted as solids, and volatiles released during cure excluded. ASTM D5201-26, active since 2026-06-29, covers formulation constants such as weight solids, volume solids, VOC and density, and each mass entered is divided by its density. PVC on this page always means pigment volume concentration, never polyvinyl chloride.
The CPVC estimate comes from oil absorption measured by ASTM D281-12(2021), the spatula rub-out method, and the calculator flags it as an estimate for solventborne paint.
Why the VOC Calculator Gives Two Results#
The VOC calculator gives two results because the EU counts g/L of the ready-to-use paint with water included, while the US counts g/L less water and exempt compounds. Under Directive 2004/42/EC Art. 2(5) (consolidated text 02004L0042-20210716), a VOC is an organic compound with an initial boiling point of 250 °C (482 °F) or less at 101.3 kPa. The US federal AIM rule (40 CFR 59.406) removes water and the compounds exempted by 40 CFR 51.100(s), such as acetone and methyl acetate (eCFR text of 2026-10-30), from mass and volume. A third figure, VOC actual, divides the same VOC mass by the full volume of material; the CARB 2019 Suggested Control Measure applies it to low-solids categories and to SCAQMD Rule 314 fees.
As a worked example, take a paint of density 0.99 kg/L with 50 wt % water, 48 wt % solids, 2 wt % VOC and no exempt compounds, and water at 1 kg/L. One liter weighs 990 g and holds 19.8 g of VOC and 495 g (0.495 L) of water. VOC regulatory equals 19.8 g / 0.505 L = 39.2 g/L, rounded to 39 g/L (0.33 lb/gal), and VOC actual equals 19.8 g / 1 L, rounded to 20 g/L (0.17 lb/gal).
Why Drier Dosage Is Computed on Binder Solids#
Drier dosage is computed on binder solids because drier levels are set as % metal on binder solids, so the drier calculator needs the binder solids mass, the target % metal and the metal content of the drier product. The product mass equals the binder solids mass times the target % metal divided by 100, divided by the metal content of the drier. Two drier products of one metal with different metal contents therefore need different masses for the same target.
How a Quote Request Turns an Additive Level Into an Order Quantity#
A quote request turns an additive level into an order quantity by applying the formula of its basis to the annual paint output. The three formulas, one per basis, are listed below.
- % on total formula: product mass = paint output x level / 100.
- ppm active on total paint: product mass = paint output (kg) x ppm / 10^6 / active fraction of the product; 200 ppm active of 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (BIT) (0.10 % of a 20 % BIT product) needs 1 kg of product per tonne of paint (1,000 x 200 / 10^6 / 0.20 = 1.0 kg).
- % metal on binder solids: product mass = binder solids mass x % metal / 100 / metal content of the drier.
The form asks for the additive family or substance, the grade, the paint type, the annual volume, the packaging and the delivery country, and computes additive volume from annual paint output.
What the Calculators Do Not Replace: Testing and Compliance Work#
A calculation never replaces the test or the record a regulator reads: in the US, the EPA Method 24 result governs over formulation data under 40 CFR 59.406, and SCAQMD Rule 1113 does not accept SDS as formulation data. The CARB 2019 Suggested Control Measure also counts VOCs generated during cure, such as ethanol from silanes and siloxanes.
Room paint-quantity calculators and formulation costing software are not covered here. The governing US figure comes from VOC content testing of paint by EPA Method 24. Its procedure and the ASTM and ISO methods are described under VOC content testing of paint.