Convert SCCM to standard liters per minute, molar flow, mass flow, or actual gas volume, or calculate SCCM from standard volume and elapsed time. Select the reference conditions specified for your instrument.

Convert a standard gas flow to volume, molar and mass rates.

Ideal-gas estimate. Use the reference conditions specified for your instrument. Real-gas effects and instrument gas-calibration corrections are not included.

SCCM Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) when the gas volume is expressed at the chosen standard conditions.

SCCM = (Vstd) / (t)
  • Where SCCM is the standard cubic centimeters per minute (standard volumetric flow rate)
  • Vstd
     is the total gas volume expressed at the chosen standard conditions (cm³)
  • t is the elapsed time (min), greater than zero. Gas-law temperatures in the conversion modes use kelvin and pressures use absolute pressure.

To calculate SCCM, divide the standard-volume equivalent (in cm³) by the elapsed time (in minutes). If the volume is not already referenced to standard conditions, the result is cm³/min (actual) rather than SCCM.

What is SCCM?

Definition:

SCCM, short for standard cubic centimeters per minute, is a unit of measure of gas volumetric flow referenced to a defined set of “standard” conditions (standard temperature and standard pressure). The exact standard conditions can vary by industry; a common reference is 0°C and 1 atm.

How to calculate SCCM?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines how to calculate the standard cubic centimeters per minute.

First, determine the total standard-volume equivalent. In this example, the total standard volume is 50 cm^3 (i.e., 50 standard cm³).

Next, determine the total time of flow. In this case, the total time is 500 minutes.

Finally, calculate the SCCM using the formula above:

SCCM = Vstd / t

SCCM = 50 / 500

SCCM = 0.10 standard cm³/min. Choose “SCCM from standard volume and time,” then enter 50 cm³ and 500 min. All standard-volume outputs, including SCFH, share the selected reference conditions. Mass and actual-volume conversions use an ideal-gas approximation; no real-gas or instrument calibration correction is applied.