Compare two bulk chemical quotes by delivered cost per active pound after concentration, density, freight, and shipment fees are included.
Quote B
Advanced options
Quote A shipment charges
Quote B shipment charges
Calculation details
Table of contents
How to use our Bulk Chemical Delivered Active Pound Cost Calculator
- Choose each quote's price basis, then enter its product-only price and order quantity in the matching unit.
- Enter each product's active concentration as weight percent from the product specification or certificate of analysis.
- If a quote is priced per gallon, enter that product's density in lb/gal.
- Open Advanced options and enter only shipment charges that are not already included in the product price.
- Click Calculate, then check that the lower-cost quote, active ingredient weight, and delivered order cost match the quote details you entered.
Definitions
Active pound: One pound of the chemical ingredient that performs the intended treatment or process, excluding water and inactive product content.
Weight percent active: The share of purchased product that is active ingredient by weight. A 50% product has 0.5 active lb in each lb of product.
Delivered order cost: Product cost plus the shipment charges entered for that quote.
Product density: Product weight per gallon, in lb/gal. It is needed to turn a gallon-based order into product pounds.
US CWT: US hundredweight, equal to 100 lb. This calculator does not use the 112 lb Imperial hundredweight.
kg to lb conversion: One kilogram equals 2.2046226218487757 lb, based on the exact definition of the international pound. [1]
Common mistakes and quick fixes
Mistake: Entering Quote A active concentration as a volume percent or an unlabeled purity value.
Fix: Use the weight-percent active value for Quote A active concentration from the quote, product specification, or certificate of analysis.
Mistake: Leaving Quote A product density blank for a gallon-based Quote A price basis.
Fix: Enter Quote A product density in lb/gal from the product documentation before calculating.
Mistake: Adding delivery twice by entering an all-in unit price and Quote B freight not included in product price ($ per shipment).
Fix: Leave Quote B freight not included in product price ($ per shipment) blank or at 0 when delivery is already included in Quote B product price.
Mistake: Treating US CWT as 112 lb.
Fix: For Quote A price basis or Quote B price basis, use the calculator's US CWT option, which is 100 lb.
Mistake: Comparing delivered order cost without checking active ingredient weight.
Fix: Use Quote A delivered price per active pound and Quote B delivered price per active pound as the comparable prices.
Mistake: Typing a malformed comma value such as 1,01 in Quote A product price.
Fix: Use commas only for thousands, such as 10,000, and use a decimal point for cents, such as 1.01.
Limitations & Key Assumptions / Boundary Conditions
- The result compares purchase cost per active pound only. It does not measure treatment performance, required dose, purity beyond the entered concentration, or process yield.
- Active concentration must be a weight percent. A volume percent, specific gravity, or unlabeled concentration cannot be substituted without a documented conversion.
- For gallon-based quotes, the result is only as accurate as the entered product density in lb/gal. Density can vary by product, concentration, and temperature.
- Enter freight, fuel surcharge, hazmat fee, and other shipment fees only when they are not already included in the quoted product price.
- Taxes, rebates, refundable deposits, minimum-order rules, container charges not entered, and later invoice adjustments are outside the calculation.
- The comparison assumes each quote supplies a chemically comparable active ingredient for the intended use. Different chemical forms may not have the same treatment effect per active pound.
Methodology
Calculation method
Each quote is first converted to pounds of purchased product. Gallon quotes use the entered density, kilogram quotes use 2.2046226218487757 lb per kg, and US CWT quotes use 100 lb per CWT. The kilogram conversion follows the exact international-pound definition. [1]
product pounds = quantity for lb quotes
product pounds = quantity x density for gal quotes
product pounds = quantity x 2.2046226218487757 for kg quotes
product pounds = quantity x 100 for US CWT quotes
The calculator multiplies purchased product weight by weight-percent active to find active ingredient weight.
active pounds = product pounds x active concentration / 100
Product cost uses the quoted unit price and quantity in the same selected quote basis. Shipment charges are added once per quote; blank optional charges count as $0.
product cost = unit price x quantity
delivered order cost = product cost + freight + fuel surcharge + hazmat fee + other shipment fees
The comparable price is delivered order cost divided by active pounds. The calculator selects the lower unrounded price and reports the absolute price gap.
delivered price per active pound = delivered order cost / active pounds
price gap = absolute value of Quote A delivered price per active pound - Quote B delivered price per active pound
Worked example
Suppose Quote A is $1.20 per lb for 10,000 lb at 50% active, with $650 in entered shipment charges. Its delivered order cost is $12,650 and its active ingredient weight is 5,000 active lb.
Quote A delivered price per active pound = 12650 / 5000 = $2.53
If Quote B is $1.10 per lb for 10,000 lb at 40% active, with $500 in entered shipment charges, its delivered price is $11,500 / 4,000 active lb = $2.875 per active lb. Quote A is lower by $0.345 per active lb.