This request is certainly unique, though obviously gaining in popularity as a choice for scattering ashes, or “cremains.”
The volume of cremains will vary greatly from request to request, as some people will only want a portion of their remains to be used and others may want the entire volume scattered.
As people are also varying sizes, this will also effect the volume of cremains. It is estimated that cremains are about 3.5% of the original mass of the deceased before cremation. A recent sampling averaged cremains at roughly 6 lbs for men and 4 lbs for women.
Generally, Funeral Directors handle services such as transferring cremains into urns, memorial jewelry, etc., so they may need to be involved in preparing the cremains for a scattering service using cannons. In some places, this is a legal requirement, so be sure to check with your Funeral Director, and he or she will be able to give you a better idea of the actual volume of cremains involved.
I don’t think the question was quite answered, so I’ll take a stab at it.
It is my guess that the inquirer wants a rough estimate so he/she can determine if their equipment is capable of handling the job.
Having worked in a crematory for a few years, the processed cremains (ashes) were placed in a temporary cremation container the held a maximum volume of about 200 cubic inches. After filling quite a few of these over the course of my employment, I would estimate that a vast majority of ‘adult’ cremains occupied about 90% of the container on average. They rarely did they exceed the container’s limit or fall below about 60% capacity.
So based on my experience and doing a little math, I’d say the average volume of the ashes would be about 180 cubic inches, but you could figure a range of 120 – 200 to be on the safe side.
Hope this helps.
I would agree with Mr. McCabe. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) which determined that the standard capacity of a single adult urn should be 200 cubic inches. A container with a capacity of 200 cubic inches (volume) will the ashes of most folks. I have provided cremation urns to thousands and thousands of families over the years and support the math above. Regards, MM
I am looking for this service for my father. Do you know who provides it?