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Dense safe flowable material

Dense safe flowable material

Dense safe flowable material

(OP)
I am looking for a dense (or at least denser than water), cheap, non toxic (for use near water), material with a similar viscosity to water.  

I am potentially going to use it as ballast for subsea structures.

Any ideas or suggestions?

RE: Dense safe flowable material

Sodium chloride solution would be cheapest. Calcium chloride solution can get to 40% heavier than water and is used to ballast tractor tires because it is also an anti- freeze. Another approach is used for drilling mud where a thickener is added to keep dense particulates from settling and thus creating a dense fluid.

RE: Dense safe flowable material

Sodium Chloride in a fresh water body may be a problem?

Can you use sand?

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."   
Albert Einstein
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RE: Dense safe flowable material

why not just use water.  Pump it in or out as you wish.  As long as your design does not contaminate the water.

Regards
Stonecold

RE: Dense safe flowable material

(OP)
Sand could be a possibility, I hadn't though of flowable solids,  only it would be a little more difficult to remove at a later date.

In an ideal world I could use water but we are restricted in terms of volume so the denser the material the better.

In an perfect world the perfect material would be:

Completely non toxic to anything not even a mouse;
Flowable, to be installed and removed with a pump;
As cheap as a bag of fries;
Specific Gravity of around 3.0;
Completely inert;

Cant really think of anything else at the moment.  I know nothing like this exists but I though I would ask anyway.

Mercury would be ideal if someone could find a way to make it all of the above smile

RE: Dense safe flowable material

Iron pigs.  Explosive bolts.  Just leave 'em and let the sea recycle 'em.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

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