The pigment volume concentration (PVC) calculator converts the masses and densities of a paint formula's pigments, extenders, binder and liquids into 6 results under the ASTM D5201-26 assumptions. The results are component volumes, volume solids, weight solids, wet density, PVC and, when oil absorption values are entered, the ratio of PVC to the critical pigment volume concentration (CPVC).
The volume balance decides how much binder the pigments get, and the quantities of paint additives follow from it. Dispersants, defoamers and thickeners each carry their own level basis, explained across the families of paint additives.
One illustrative latex batch reaches 41.2 % volume solids and 1.470 g/cm3 (12.27 lb/US gal). Below follow the inputs, outputs, method notes, 6 validation rules, the CPVC estimate, 10 published PVC values from 14 to 38.4 % and the step to an additive quantity.
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.
Pigment volume concentration calculator
One row per pigment, extender, binder, water and solvent, each with its mass and density. The rows below hold Example A; change them or load your own formula.
Results
| TiO2 | 50.00 cm3 |
|---|---|
| Calcite | 92.59 cm3 |
| Latex (50 % solids), solids | 137.61 cm3 |
| Latex (50 % solids), volatile part | 150.00 cm3 |
| Water | 250.00 cm3 |
| Total | 680.21 cm3 |
| Pigment and extender | 142.59 cm3 |
| Nonvolatile matter | 280.21 cm3 |
- Volume solids
- 41.2 %
- Weight solids
- 60.0 %
- Wet density
- 1.470 g/cm3 (12.27 lb/US gal)
- PVC
- 50.9 %
- PVC/CPVC
- enter oil absorption for every pigment and extender row
Calculated under the ASTM D5201-26 assumptions: ideal mixing with no volume change, retained liquids counted as solids, cure volatiles excluded. A formulation value, not a measured one.
What the PVC Calculator Computes From a Formula#
The PVC calculator computes 6 results from one paint formula: the volume of each component, the volume solids, the weight solids, the wet density in g/cm3 (lb/US gal), the pigment volume concentration and a PVC/CPVC ratio. The ratio appears only when oil absorption values are entered.
Inputs: Pigment, Extender and Binder Quantities With Densities#
Each formula row needs a mass and a density, and binder rows also need a solids content: pigments and extenders enter as dry solids, the binder as a dispersion or solution, and water and solvents as liquids. The table lists every input with its units.
| Input | Unit (metric, US) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pigment or extender mass | g or kg (lb) | dry solid |
| Pigment or extender density | g/cm3 (lb/US gal) | warning outside 3.9-4.3 g/cm3 for titanium dioxide and 2.7-2.95 g/cm3 for calcium carbonate |
| Binder mass and solids content | g or kg (lb); % by weight | dispersion or solution |
| Water and solvent mass and density | g or kg (lb); g/cm3 (lb/US gal) | water at 1.00 g/cm3 in the worked examples |
| Oil absorption (optional) | as reported by ASTM D281-12(2021) or ASTM D1483-12(2023) | CPVC estimate only |
| Additive rows (optional) | mass and nonvolatile content | retained liquids count as solids |
Pigments, extenders, binders and solvents are the paint raw materials behind these rows. Their roles in a formula are described under paint raw materials.
Outputs: Volumes, Volume Solids, Density and the PVC/CPVC Ratio#
The result panel lists the component volumes first, then volume solids and weight solids, then wet density, then PVC and the PVC/CPVC ratio. The table gives each result with its unit and basis.
| Result | Unit | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Component volumes | cm3 (US gal) | mass divided by density |
| Volume solids | % by volume of the wet paint | volume of nonvolatile matter over total volume |
| Weight solids | % by weight | mass of nonvolatile matter over total mass |
| Wet density | g/cm3 (lb/US gal) | total mass over total volume |
| PVC | % by volume of the nonvolatile part | pigment and extender volume within the nonvolatile volume |
| PVC/CPVC | ratio | marked above 1.00 |
Volume solids refers to the whole wet paint, while PVC refers only to the nonvolatile part. The first says how much of the can volume stays as film, the second how much of that film is pigment and extender.
Method Notes: The ASTM D5201-26 Assumptions Behind Each Result#
Every result follows the assumptions of ASTM D5201-26, the practice for calculating formulation physical constants of paints and coatings. The three assumptions are listed below.
- Ideal mixing: components mix with no volume change.
- Retained liquids: plasticizers, reactive diluents and other liquids that stay in the film count as solids.
- Cure volatiles: volatiles released during cure are excluded.
ASTM D5201-26 calculates weight solids, volume solids, solvent, VOC and HAP content and density from formulation data, and PVC is not covered by the practice. The practice also states that its calculated VOC content may not be acceptable for VOC compliance. The PVC result applies the volume rules of the practice to a quantity outside its scope.
Calculated Versus Measured Volume Solids and Density#
A calculated volume solids is a formulation value, and EPA Method 24 (40 CFR 60 Appendix A-7) itself calculates volume solids from the manufacturer's formulation rather than measuring it.
Density and volatile content have measured checks. Method 24 names ASTM D1475 for density and ASTM D2369 for volatile content, whose current editions are ASTM D1475-13(2025) and ASTM D2369-24. ASTM D2697-22 names volume nonvolatile matter in clear or pigmented coatings in its title, yet its scope (section 1.1) states that it does not apply to pigmented coatings or radiation curable materials.
In the US, the EPA Method 24 result governs over formulation data under 40 CFR 59.406, which makes VOC content testing of paint the deciding check. The EPA, ASTM and ISO methods are compared under VOC content testing of paint.
Worked Examples in Metric and US Units#
Two worked examples run one illustrative interior latex batch through the calculator, Example A per 1,000 g in metric units and Example B per 1,000 lb in US units. Both give 41.2 % volume solids, 60.0 % weight solids and a wet density of 1.470 g/cm3 (12.27 lb/US gal). The inputs are illustrative, additives are ignored, and neither batch is a starting formulation.
Example A: A 1,000 g Interior Latex Batch (Metric)#
Example A takes 200 g TiO2, 250 g calcite, 300 g latex at 50 % solids and 250 g water and returns 142.59 cm3 of pigment and extender, 280.20 cm3 of nonvolatile matter and 680.2 cm3 in total. The TiO2 and calcite densities sit inside the PubChem ranges, and the dry polymer density of 1.09 g/cm3 is derived from a latex data sheet quoted by Palasz (PCI): 48 % solids at 1.02 to 1.06 g/cm3. Entering these rows in the calculator above shows the PVC.
The table gives each volume in exact arithmetic.
| Component | Mass (g) | Density (g/cm3) | Volume (cm3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiO2 | 200 | 4.0 | 50.00 |
| Calcite | 250 | 2.7 | 92.59 |
| Latex polymer (from 300 g latex at 50 % solids) | 150 | 1.09 | 137.61 |
| Water (250 g free + 150 g from the latex) | 400 | 1.00 | 400.00 |
| Total | 1,000 | 1.470 (1,000 / 680.2) | 680.2 |
| Pigment and extender | 450 | n/a | 142.59 |
| Nonvolatile matter | 600 (weight solids 60.0 %) | n/a | 280.20 (volume solids 280.20 / 680.2 = 41.2 %) |
Example B: The Same Batch at 1,000 lb (US Units)#
Example B scales the batch to 1,000 lb (453.59 kg) and returns 81.51 US gal (308.5 L) at 12.27 lb/US gal, with 33.58 US gal of nonvolatile matter, the same volume fraction as Example A. Each density converts with 1 g/cm3 = 8.3454 lb/US gal, which follows from 1 lb/gal = 119.8264 g/L (NIST).
The table repeats the batch in pounds and US gallons.
| Component | Mass (lb) | Density (lb/US gal) | Volume (US gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiO2 | 200 | 33.38 | 5.99 |
| Calcite | 250 | 22.53 | 11.10 |
| Latex polymer | 150 | 9.10 | 16.49 |
| Water | 400 | 8.35 | 47.93 |
| Total | 1,000 | 12.27 | 81.51 (308.5 L) |
Validation Limits the Calculator Applies to Inputs#
The calculator rejects 4 kinds of input and warns on 2 more, and the 6 rules are listed below.
- Negative mass: rejected.
- Density of zero or below: rejected.
- Solids content outside 0 to 100 % by weight: rejected.
- Formula without at least one pigment or extender row and one binder row: rejected.
- Titanium dioxide density outside 3.9 to 4.3 g/cm3 (PubChem range): warning.
- Calcium carbonate density outside 2.7 to 2.95 g/cm3 (PubChem range): warning.
A rejection stops the calculation, because a negative mass or a zero density yields no volume. A warning keeps the result and asks for the data-sheet density to be checked. A PVC/CPVC ratio above 1.00 is marked in the result panel and points to the concept page on PVC and CPVC.
The CPVC Estimate From Oil Absorption and Its Limits#
The calculator estimates CPVC only from oil absorption values that a pigment supplier reports by ASTM D281-12(2021), the spatula rub-out method, or ASTM D1483-12(2023), the Gardner-Coleman method, and labels the result a solventborne estimate. A row without a reported value carries no CPVC.
Pigment volume concentration (PVC) and CPVC are two points on one volume scale, and the calculator reports where a formula sits relative to the estimate as the PVC/CPVC ratio. The theory behind both quantities is set out under pigment volume concentration (PVC) and CPVC.
Comparing a Result With Published Guide Formulations#
Ten published products and guide formulations give PVC values from 14 % (Resene Woodsman) to 38.4 % (Heubach guide formulation No. 299-03, a short-oil alkyd primer). The three Heubach anticorrosive primer guides also state a PVC/CPVC of 0.6 for 2K epoxy and 2K polyurethane and 0.7 for the short-oil alkyd. The table lists each value with its source.
| Product or guide formulation (source) | Paint | PVC | PVC/CPVC stated | Paint-type page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodsman (Resene, own product value) | n/a | 14 % | n/a | n/a |
| Low-PVC gloss case (Palasz, PCI) | latex gloss | 15 % | n/a | water-based enamel paint formulation |
| Hi-Glo White (Resene, own product value) | n/a | 19 % | n/a | n/a |
| Zero-VOC semigloss acrylic (BASF, CoatingsTech 2015) | latex semigloss | 22.9 % | n/a | emulsion (latex) paint formulation |
| US 8,293,002 B2, Example 3 | acrylic semi-gloss | 24 % | n/a | see the emulsion paint page |
| Heubach guide formulation No. 544-03 | high-solids 2K PU anticorrosive | 32.7 % | 0.6 | polyurethane paint formulation |
| Heubach guide formulation No. 132-01 | 2K epoxy primer | 34.0 % | 0.6 | epoxy paint formulation |
| Latex paint with a 90-110 KU target (Palasz, PCI) | latex | 34 % | n/a | see the emulsion paint page |
| Lumbersider White (Resene, own product value) | n/a | 37 % | n/a | n/a |
| Heubach guide formulation No. 299-03 | short-oil alkyd primer | 38.4 % | 0.7 | primer formulation |
Values of single products and formulations; not ranges for a paint type.
Each value belongs to one product or formulation and is no range for a paint type: the 34 % latex example and the 34.0 % epoxy primer describe two unrelated paints. The paint-type pages in the last column carry each additive package.
From a Calculator Result to Additive Quantities and a Quote Request#
A calculator result becomes an additive quantity through the level basis: a dispersant dosed in % as supplied on pigment multiplies the pigment mass the calculator already holds. One US patent example (US 8,293,002 B2) uses 7.00 parts of a 25 % active dispersant on 250 parts pigment, which is 0.70 % active on pigment and 2.80 % as supplied on pigment. Applied to the 200 g of TiO2 in Example A, 2.80 % gives 5.60 g per 1,000 g, or 0.56 % as supplied on total formula, which is 5.6 t of product per 1,000 t of paint. The arithmetic is no level recommendation.
PVC also narrows product choice, because 5 products in the table below state the PVC range they are designed for. Paint additive dosage follows one basis per family, such as % metal on binder solids for driers and ppm active on total paint for biocides. The bases are explained under paint additive dosage.
The table lists the PVC scope that each product page states, without levels.
| Product (producer, data sheet) | Class | PVC scope stated |
|---|---|---|
| BYK-022 (BYK TDS) | silicone defoamers | PVC 18-25 |
| BYK-039 (BYK TDS) | mineral oil defoamers | emulsion paint, PVC 35-70 |
| BYK-1640 (BYK TDS) | polymeric defoamers | architectural emulsion, PVC 30-85 |
| BYK-1615 (BYK TDS) | silicone defoamer | PVC 60-85 |
| OROTAN 1620 (Dow product page) | polyacrylate dispersants | low-sheen to flat high-PVC latex |
| Family pages | paint defoamers, dispersing agents | levels with their basis |
The quote form takes the additive family or substance, grade, paint type, annual volume, packaging and delivery country and computes additive volume from annual paint output (product mass = paint output x level / 100).
How the PVC Calculator Fits With the Other Formulation Tools#
The PVC calculator is 1 of 3 calculators on PaintAdditives.org: it works in volumes, while the VOC content calculator works in g/L with and without water and the drier calculator in % metal on binder solids.
The three paint formulation calculators share one index with the quote form. All four tools are listed under paint formulation calculators.
Where PVC and CPVC Theory Is Explained#
The theory behind each result sits on 2 pages, listed below.
- PVC and CPVC theory: the concept page on pigment loading and the critical point.
- Paint formulation fundamentals: raw materials, process stages and level bases.
The VOC and Drier Calculators#
Two sibling calculators reuse the same formula rows, listed below.
- Paint VOC content calculator: VOC content in g/L with and without water.
- Paint drier calculator: drier dosage as % metal on binder solids.
Does the calculator work for latex paint?#
Yes: volumes, volume solids, weight solids and density work for latex paint as for solventborne paint, while the CPVC result keeps its solventborne label.
Why does the calculator need densities and not only weights?#
Every result except weight solids is a volume quantity, and a volume is mass divided by density, so a formula given only in weights yields no volume solids and no PVC. The same 100 g occupies 25.0 cm3 as TiO2 at 4.0 g/cm3 and 37.04 cm3 as calcite at 2.7 g/cm3.