Weight, always. ColorBlast Pro™ is sold by net weight and dosed by net weight, and there is no volume figure anywhere in the specification. The reason is not pedantry — the seven colors differ in density by roughly a factor of two, so the same jugful of two colors is two different doses.
The densities, and why they settle it
Published nominal values, in grams per milliliter:
| Code | Color | Density, g/mL |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Red | 1.90 – 2.40 |
| 102 | Carbon Black | 1.18 – 1.30 |
| 119 | Yellow | 1.70 – 1.90 |
| 201 | Blue | 1.20 – 1.27 |
| 204 | Chromium Green | Not published |
| 205 | White | 1.69 – 2.00 |
| 206 | Charcoal | 1.80 – 2.20 |
- 101 Red — 1.90 – 2.40
- 102 Carbon Black — 1.18 – 1.30
- 119 Yellow — 1.70 – 1.90
- 201 Blue — 1.20 – 1.27
- 204 Chromium Green — Not published
- 205 White — 1.69 – 2.00
- 206 Charcoal — 1.80 – 2.20
At the extremes that is 1.18 against 2.40 — a liter of one weighs about twice what a liter of another does. Measure by volume and you are not dosing the same amount from one color to the next, and not even consistently within a color, because each figure is a range rather than a point.
Why the pail looks half empty
Because it is filled to weight, not to the top of the container. A 44 lb pail of the densest color occupies roughly half the volume that 44 lb of the least dense does, so fill level varies from color to color. That is expected and it is not a short fill. Check the label, not the level.
How to dose it
- Put the container on a scale and weigh the dose out. Do not decant into a measuring jug.
- Rinse the container into the batch. A high-concentration paste leaves a real dose on the walls of the pack, and what stays behind is missing from the color.
- Do not dilute it to pour more easily. Dispersible in water is a property of the material, not an instruction.
The dose is pounds of paste per 94 lb sack of cement and a percentage of cementitious weight — never of the total concrete, and never of the volume of the pour. See how much liquid pigment you need.
Common questions
Can I measure liquid concrete pigment by volume?
No. It is sold and dosed by net weight, and the seven colors differ in density by roughly a factor of two, so the same volume of two colors is not the same dose. Each published density is a range rather than a single value, so even within one color a volume measure is not repeatable.
Why is my 44 lb pail not full to the top?
Because it is filled to weight rather than to the brim. A denser color occupies less volume for the same 44 lb, so fill level varies. It is not a short fill — check the label rather than the level.
What is the density of 204 Chromium Green?
It is not published. The documentation held on file is not consistent on that figure, so no number is published for it. Do not estimate it from another color, because the spread across the line is roughly two to one. Ask before converting a 204 pack to a volume.
Can I thin the paste so it pours more easily?
No. Do not dilute the paste, and do not pre-mix it with anything other than the batch water. That it disperses in water is a property of the material, not an instruction to add water to it.
Does the same rule apply to powder pigment?
The weighing rule does — powder is also dosed by weight and bulk density differs between codes there too. But no figure moves between the two lines in either direction. A paste code is not the powder code with the same number.
What’s Next
- Working out quantities → How Much Liquid Concrete Pigment
- Mixing it → How to Use Liquid Concrete Pigment
- For production batching → Weighing vs Pumping Liquid Pigment
- Approve the color → How to Make and Approve a Test Panel
- Shop → ColorBlast Pro™ Pigment Paste
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
