Dense safe flowable material

[Ussuri]

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?

 

[Compositepro]

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.

 

[Ashereng]

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
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[StoneCold]

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

 

[Ussuri]

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

 

[MikeHalloran]

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





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[unclesyd]

One common flowable ballast is cast iron or iron shot. Another material you might consider is Zirconia beads. This site has the precision beads but you can get a much cheaper version.

http://www.sigmund-lindner.com/glit...m;jsessionid=2F176055C728E5FA5D7A20E2C7EC200C