Nitric acid · HNO3
Density, dynamic viscosity and specific heat capacity of aqueous nitric acid as a function of concentration and temperature, computed from the Laliberté (2009) aqueous-electrolyte correlation. Tabulated over 5–65 wt% and 0–45 °C.
- Also known as
- Aqua fortis, Spirit of niter, Hydrogen nitrate
- CAS number
- 7697-37-2
- Tabulated range
- 5–65 wt% · 0–45 °C
- Properties
- Density · Dynamic viscosity · Specific heat capacity · Specific gravity · Degrees Baumé
- Density
- 1310.0kg/m³
- Density
- 1.3100g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 1.312
- Viscosity
- 2.309cP
- Specific heat
- 2880J/kg·K
- °Baumé
- 34.5heavy
Read a value at any point
Move the sliders to interpolate between the tabulated grid points. The readout and chart never go outside the validated 5–65 wt% and 0–45 °C range, and every number is interpolated from the committed table below — nothing is computed from a chemistry model in your browser.
Values are interpolated between the tabulated grid points below — sliders stay within the validated 5–65 wt% and 0–45 °C range.
- Density
- 1213.2 kg/m³
- Density
- 1.2132 g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 1.215
- Dynamic viscosity
- 1.428 cP
- Specific heat
- 3053 J/kg·K
- °Baumé (heavy)
- 25.7
What the numbers tell you
At 50 wt% and 20 °C, aqueous nitric acid has a density of about 1310 kg/m³ (1.310 g/cm³) — roughly 1.31× the density of water. Its dynamic viscosity is about 2.309 cP, against roughly 1 cP for water at the same temperature, and its specific heat is about 2.88 kJ/kg·K — about 69% of water's 4.18 kJ/kg·K. Those differences carry straight into volume-to-mass conversions, pump and pipe sizing, and the heat needed to change its temperature.
A few working strengths
Properties at 20 °C for a handful of concentrations in everyday use, read from the committed grid (interpolated between tabulated points where a grade falls between them). The full table follows below.
| wt% HNO3 | °C | Density kg/m³ | SG | Viscosity cP | Sp. heat J/kg·K | °Baumé |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20 | 1055.4 | 1.057 | 1.043 | 3728 | 7.9 |
| 30 | 20 | 1180.5 | 1.183 | 1.297 | 3145 | 22.4 |
| 50 | 20 | 1310.0 | 1.312 | 2.309 | 2880 | 34.5 |
| 65 | 20 | 1391.1 | 1.394 | 13.43 | 2842 | 41.0 |
Where the numbers come from
Every value on this page is computed by a deterministic model — none is entered by hand. The generating method and the references it is checked against:
- ▸Laliberte, M. (2009). A Model for Calculating the Heat Capacity of Aqueous Solutions, with Updated Density and Viscosity Data. J. Chem. Eng. Data 54(6), 1725-1760. doi:10.1021/je8008123
- ▸Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, 6th ed. (Perry & Green) - aqueous HNO3 density table
Model: thermo==0.4.0 (chemicals==1.3.0) - Laliberte 2009 electrolyte correlation · Generated 2026-06-07
Checked against a cited value
The model is cross-checked at one independently cited reference point. The page is published only because this check passes.
| Property / point | Density · 50 wt% · 20 °C |
| Cited reference value | 1310 kg/m3 |
| Model computed | 1309.95 kg/m3 |
| Error vs reference | 0.003% (tolerance 1%) |
Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, 6th ed.. Perry, R.H. & Green, D.W. (eds.), Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, 6th ed., aqueous nitric acid density-concentration table: 50 wt% HNO3 at 20 degC = 1.310 g/cm3. Cross-checked against a published standard HNO3 density table giving 1.310 g/cm3 at 50 wt%, 20 degC.
Every tabulated point
Rows are temperature (°C); columns are concentration (wt% HNO3). Read the cell at the intersection. Specific gravity is density divided by the model water reference of 998.2 kg/m³ at 20 °C.
| °C \ wt% | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1029.4 | 1060.2 | 1092.0 | 1124.9 | 1158.7 | 1193.3 | 1228.4 | 1263.7 | 1298.8 | 1333.0 | 1365.6 | 1395.7 | 1421.8 |
| 5 | 1029.2 | 1059.5 | 1090.9 | 1123.3 | 1156.5 | 1190.5 | 1225.0 | 1259.6 | 1294.0 | 1327.5 | 1359.3 | 1388.6 | 1414.0 |
| 10 | 1028.5 | 1058.5 | 1089.4 | 1121.3 | 1154.0 | 1187.5 | 1221.3 | 1255.3 | 1289.0 | 1321.8 | 1352.9 | 1381.5 | 1406.2 |
| 15 | 1027.6 | 1057.1 | 1087.6 | 1119.0 | 1151.2 | 1184.1 | 1217.4 | 1250.7 | 1283.8 | 1315.9 | 1346.4 | 1374.4 | 1398.6 |
| 20 | 1026.3 | 1055.4 | 1085.5 | 1116.4 | 1148.1 | 1180.5 | 1213.2 | 1246.0 | 1278.4 | 1310.0 | 1339.9 | 1367.3 | 1391.1 |
| 25 | 1024.8 | 1053.5 | 1083.1 | 1113.6 | 1144.8 | 1176.7 | 1208.8 | 1241.1 | 1273.0 | 1304.0 | 1333.4 | 1360.4 | 1383.8 |
| 30 | 1023.0 | 1051.3 | 1080.5 | 1110.6 | 1141.4 | 1172.7 | 1204.4 | 1236.1 | 1267.5 | 1298.0 | 1327.0 | 1353.6 | 1376.8 |
| 35 | 1021.0 | 1049.0 | 1077.8 | 1107.4 | 1137.7 | 1168.6 | 1199.8 | 1231.0 | 1261.9 | 1292.0 | 1320.7 | 1347.0 | 1370.0 |
| 40 | 1018.9 | 1046.4 | 1074.8 | 1104.0 | 1133.9 | 1164.3 | 1195.1 | 1225.9 | 1256.4 | 1286.1 | 1314.4 | 1340.5 | 1363.4 |
| 45 | 1016.5 | 1043.7 | 1071.7 | 1100.5 | 1130.0 | 1160.0 | 1190.3 | 1220.7 | 1250.9 | 1280.3 | 1308.4 | 1334.3 | 1357.2 |
| °C \ wt% | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1.759 | 1.744 | 1.748 | 1.772 | 1.821 | 1.902 | 2.026 | 2.213 | 2.501 | 2.966 | 3.805 | 5.718 | 15.63 |
| 5 | 1.506 | 1.506 | 1.523 | 1.558 | 1.615 | 1.702 | 1.829 | 2.016 | 2.299 | 2.750 | 3.560 | 5.397 | 14.88 |
| 10 | 1.307 | 1.318 | 1.344 | 1.386 | 1.449 | 1.540 | 1.669 | 1.855 | 2.132 | 2.572 | 3.358 | 5.133 | 14.27 |
| 15 | 1.147 | 1.166 | 1.199 | 1.246 | 1.313 | 1.407 | 1.537 | 1.722 | 1.995 | 2.426 | 3.192 | 4.919 | 13.79 |
| 20 | 1.018 | 1.043 | 1.080 | 1.131 | 1.202 | 1.297 | 1.428 | 1.613 | 1.883 | 2.309 | 3.061 | 4.754 | 13.43 |
| 25 | 0.911 | 0.941 | 0.982 | 1.037 | 1.111 | 1.208 | 1.341 | 1.526 | 1.796 | 2.219 | 2.966 | 4.643 | 13.22 |
| 30 | 0.823 | 0.857 | 0.902 | 0.961 | 1.038 | 1.139 | 1.274 | 1.463 | 1.736 | 2.163 | 2.915 | 4.603 | 13.22 |
| 35 | 0.750 | 0.789 | 0.839 | 0.902 | 0.984 | 1.091 | 1.233 | 1.430 | 1.714 | 2.157 | 2.937 | 4.684 | 13.59 |
| 40 | 0.691 | 0.737 | 0.796 | 0.868 | 0.961 | 1.081 | 1.239 | 1.458 | 1.774 | 2.265 | 3.128 | 5.062 | 14.90 |
| 45 | 0.653 | 0.720 | 0.802 | 0.905 | 1.034 | 1.202 | 1.425 | 1.732 | 2.177 | 2.873 | 4.101 | 6.857 | 20.85 |
| °C \ wt% | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3938 | 3698 | 3493 | 3319 | 3172 | 3049 | 2949 | 2869 | 2808 | 2765 | 2738 | 2726 | 2729 |
| 5 | 3935 | 3704 | 3507 | 3338 | 3196 | 3077 | 2979 | 2901 | 2842 | 2799 | 2772 | 2761 | 2763 |
| 10 | 3935 | 3712 | 3521 | 3357 | 3218 | 3102 | 3007 | 2930 | 2871 | 2829 | 2803 | 2791 | 2793 |
| 15 | 3936 | 3720 | 3534 | 3374 | 3239 | 3125 | 3031 | 2956 | 2898 | 2856 | 2830 | 2818 | 2820 |
| 20 | 3939 | 3728 | 3546 | 3390 | 3257 | 3145 | 3053 | 2979 | 2921 | 2880 | 2853 | 2841 | 2842 |
| 25 | 3941 | 3735 | 3557 | 3404 | 3273 | 3163 | 3072 | 2998 | 2941 | 2900 | 2873 | 2861 | 2862 |
| 30 | 3944 | 3742 | 3567 | 3417 | 3288 | 3179 | 3089 | 3016 | 2959 | 2918 | 2891 | 2878 | 2879 |
| 35 | 3948 | 3749 | 3576 | 3428 | 3300 | 3193 | 3103 | 3031 | 2974 | 2933 | 2906 | 2893 | 2894 |
| 40 | 3951 | 3755 | 3585 | 3438 | 3312 | 3205 | 3116 | 3044 | 2988 | 2946 | 2920 | 2907 | 2907 |
| 45 | 3954 | 3760 | 3592 | 3446 | 3321 | 3215 | 3127 | 3055 | 2999 | 2958 | 2931 | 2918 | 2918 |
Before you use these numbers
- ▸Laliberte (2009) aqueous-electrolyte correlation for HNO3-water. Tabulated for 5-65 wt% over 0-45 degC. The temperature ceiling is held at 45 degC because the correlation's nitric-acid viscosity term becomes unstable near 50 degC; values are deliberately not tabulated through that region. Values are for preliminary design; verify against vendor data for critical service.
- ▸Values are tabulated only inside the 5–65 wt% and 0–45 °C ranges shown; the correlation is not extrapolated beyond them here.
- ▸Figures are for a pure nitric acid–water system. Commercial grades contain impurities (for example chloride in some caustic grades) that shift density and viscosity; check the supplier's data sheet for a specific product.
- ▸Use for preliminary design; verify for critical service.