Methods and apparatus for sealing a porous material sample for density determination using water displacement methods and associated surface conformal resilient compressible bags

A sample specimen configuration for sealing a dense material sample to inhibit liquid contacting the sample during specific gravity and/or density measurements using liquid displacement tests, comprising:

• a preformed resilient bag having at least one sealed side and one opening formed therein and defining a holding chamber;
• and
• a compacted material sample having an exterior surface contour positioned in said chamber of said preformed resilient bag;
• wherein said preformed bag has a first non-sealed configuration and a second sealed configuration, and wherein in said second sealed configuration said preformed bag is configured to substantially conform to said sample's exterior surface contour, and
• wherein said preformed bag includes two opposing major internal surfaces, and wherein at least one of said major internal surfaces includes a plurality of air channels formed thereon.

An apparatus for sealing a specimen, comprising:

• a preformed resilient bag defining a holding chamber therein;
• a compacted material sample having an exterior surface contour positioned in said chamber of said preformed resilient bag, wherein said preformed bag has a first non-sealed configuration and a second sealed configuration, and wherein in said second sealed configuration said preformed bag is configured to encase and substantially conform about said sample's exterior surface contour;
• and
• a vacuum apparatus operably associated with said preformed bag with said compacted material sample, wherein said vacuum apparatus includes an air chamber with a vacuum channel which is operably associated with a vacuum pump and a flow rate adjustable exhaust port, and wherein, in operation, said bag is positioned in said chamber and said preformed bag collapses to conform to said sample's exterior contour surface responsive to the controlled introduction of air into said exhaust port, said controlled introduction extending at least about thirty seconds.

An apparatus for sealing a material specimen for a liquid density evaluation, comprising:

• a preformed resilient bag defining a holding chamber therein;
• a compacted material sample having an exterior surface contour positioned in said chamber of said preformed resilient bag, wherein said preformed bag has a first non-sealed configuration and a second sealed configuration, and wherein in said second sealed configuration said preformed bag is configured to encase and substantially conform about said sample's exterior surface contour;
• and
• a vacuum apparatus operably associated with said preformed bag with said compacted material sample, wherein said bag includes four sides with edges and at least one opening formed along one edge portion thereof, wherein said vacuum chamber includes a laterally extending portion which is configured to receive said open portion of said bag therein such that a major portion of said bag and said sample are excluded from said chamber.

A method for immersing a compacted mixture in a liquid displacement bath for determining the specific gravity of specimens comprising the steps of:

• inserting a material specimen having an exterior surface into at least one bag having at least one open side;
• positioning the bag with the material specimen inside a vacuum chamber;
• evacuating the chamber after said positioning step;
• sealing the bag to enclose the material specimen therein;
• increasing the pressure in the evacuated vacuum chamber after said sealing step in a controlled manner such that the pressure is gradually increased over at least about 30 seconds thereby forcing said bag to collapse such that a portion of the bag conforms to the exterior contour of the material specimen held therein thereby encasing the material specimen;
• placing the sealed specimen in a liquid displacement bath;
• and
• measuring the volume of displaced water associated with said placing step.

An encased sample, resilient container for a porous material sample, comprising;

• a first layer of a first material, said first layer including a first perimeter portion and a thickness of about 0.006 inches;
• a second layer of a second material configured to overlay said first layer, said second layer including a second perimeter portion corresponding to said first perimeter portion and a thickness of about 0.006 inches, wherein said first and second perimeter portions are co-joined along a major portion thereof defining an internal compressible chamber therebetween and edge portions which extend laterally outward from said chamber;
• and
• a compacted material specimen held in said chamber;
• wherein said first and second layers are formed of a resilient material such that said chamber has a first collapsed position and a second non-collapsed position, said collapsed position corresponding to said chamber being sealed with said compacted material specimen positioned therein.

A method of preparing a porous sample for use in a water displacement evaluation, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a porous sample having an exterior profile into a preformed bag;
• positioning the preformed bag with the porous sample in a vacuum chamber;
• evacuating the air from the chamber;
• sealing the preformed bag with the sample enclosed therein, thereby providing a sealed sample;
• and
• then exhausting the chamber to increase the pressure in the chamber in a controlled manner for at least about 30 seconds, thereby collapsing the preformed bag such that a major portion of the bag contacts the exterior profile of the porous sample.

A computer program product for sealing a material specimen in a preformed bag, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for accepting user input information associated with identifying the material specimen to be sealed in a preformed bag;
• computer readable program code means for comparing the identified material specimen with predetermined operating parameters for directing the operation of a vacuum apparatus operably associated with the preformed bag holding the material specimen;
• and
• computer readable program code means for directing the operation of the vacuum apparatus corresponding to the operating parameters associated with the identified material specimen to substantially conform a portion of the preformed bag to the exterior shape of the material specimen.

A liquid displacement testing system, comprising:

• a vacuum apparatus having an internal vacuum chamber;
• a first scale positioned in said vacuum apparatus such that it can provide a dry air weight measure of a sealed specimen held therein;
• a liquid displacement bath;
• a second scale operably associated with said liquid displacement bath;
• and
• computer means operably associated with said first scale, said vacuum apparatus, and said second scale, said computer means including a computer program product having computer readable program code means for calculating the specific gravity of a compacted material specimen corresponding to data directly input into said computer means from said first and second scales.