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Detailed Experiment Tests/Plan

San Marin High School

Tanner Spence, Andersen Teoh

Max Leonard, Wesley Fink
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Table of Contents
1- Title Page
2- Table of Contents
2- Experimental Questions

Experiment Questions
● How long would it take for the different forms of pykrete to melt in the
temperate climate of Marin County?
○ What do these results tell us about how pykrete would react in arctic
climates?
● How does the durability of the different forms of pykrete compare?
● Under what pressures do these forms of pykrete break down under?
● How long does it take each form of pykrete to freeze?
● What do the results mean for the future of our project?
● Do any of the results call for further experimentation?

Variables
● Temperature
○ Testing the rate at which different forms of pykrete melt in order to figure
out the lengths of time at which the tool could be used
○ Testing the rate at which different forms of pykrete freeze to find out
how fast each tool could feasibly be used
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● Materials
○ Using stainless steel as a control, normal ice, pykrete with sawdust,
pykrete with printer paper shreds, pykrete with newspaper shreds, and
pykrete with newspaper shreds and a gel mixture for all the different
tests
● Durability Tests
○ Percussive impact resistance: hitting each material with a sledgehammer
○ Penetrative impact resistance: stabbing each material with a knife (or
small arms fire if available)
○ Applicable testing resistance: using each material to hammer in a nail
○ Lithobrake resistance: Dropping each material from a specified height
○ Pressure resistance: only if given any access to a hydraulic press to test
strength

Materials
● Mold: 5x5x5cm cube mold
● Ice (9% expansion): 125 ml of ice = 114.67 ml of tap water needed
● Pykrete Sawdust: 16.0538 ml of sawdust + 98.6162 ml tap water
○ This is the official Project Icebreaker© Cube of pykrete until such time as
a stronger one is discovered
● Pykrete Newspaper: 16.0538 ml of shredded newspaper + 98.6162 ml Tap water
● Pykrete Sawdust w/ Gel: 9.63228 ml sawdust + 59.16972 ml tap water + 45.868
ml gel mixture (ratios below)
● Pykrete Newspaper w/ Gel: 9.63228 ml shredded newspaper + 59.16972 ml tap
water + 45.868 ml gel mixture (ratios below)
● Gel Mixture: 0.4 ratio gel mixture to pykrete
○ Gelatin: 55% (25.2274 ml)
○ Polyacrylamide: 5% (2.2934 ml)
○ Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose: 40% (18.3472 ml)
● Scrap Wood: 1 2x4
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Instruments
Tools Needed
● Freezer
● Sledge Hammer
● Knife
● Hammer
● Electronic Source of Heat
● 3D Printer
● Stopwatch
● Ladder

Possible Tools Needed

● Firearm: 1 Glock 19. (Possibility)
● Ammunition: 1 9×19mm Parabellum (Possibility)
● Vice (Possibility)
● Hydraulic Press (Possibility)

Procedures
Test #1: Making pykrete and freezing time:
1. Create ice, pykrete sawdust, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel, and
pykrete newspaper w/ gel using the materials, ratios, and amounts listed in the
Materials section. Make sure each mixture is created in a 5x5x5cm cube mold.
a. Remember: Pykrete is composed of 86% water and 14% sawdust/other
wood-based shreddings
2. Places all mixtures inside same freezer and begin a stopwatch
3. Check on each mixture every 20 minutes until done freezing
4. Record time each mixture is completely frozen
5. Repeat all previous steps for second trial run
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6. Repeat Steps 1-4 three (or six if alternate tests are carried out) to be used for
subsequent tests. Freezing times do not need to be recorded for this step.
7. Make sure all data is recorded

Test #2: Percussive impact resistance:

1. Place one (1) Project Icebreaker© Cube of pykrete onto the ground
2. Drop one (1) sledgehammer from 2 meters above the cube.
3. Measure mass of cube after impact
4. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes
5. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
6. Record all data

Test #3: Penetrative impact resistance:

1. Place one (1) Project Icebreaker© Cube of pykrete on a table
2. Drop a knife onto the cube from 2 meters
3. Measure resulting depth of dent in pykrete cube
4. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes
5. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
6. Record all data

Test #3 (Alternative): Penetrative impact resistance:

1. Place one (1) Project Icebreaker© Cube of pykrete on a table 20 meters down
range
2. Load one (1) 9x19 parabellum round into a Glock 19
3. Tie string around the trigger of the Glock 19
4. Mount Glock 19 into table brace or vice
5. Switch safety into the “off” position. A red dot should be visible on the receiver
6. Aline Glock 19 using the attached sights
7. Pull trigger using string while standing away from the Glock 19. A pulley may be
useful for this
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8. Measure resulting depth of dent in pykrete cube

9. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
10. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
11. Record all data

Test #4: Applicable testing resistance:

1. Place one (1) nail into a 2x4 piece of lumber
2. Take one (1) pykrete sawdust cube into your hand
3. Hit nail with cube until flush with 2x4 piece of lumber
4. Measure resulting depth of dent and final weight of Project Icebreaker© Cube of
pykrete
5. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
6. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
7. Record all data

Test #5: Lithobrake resistance:

1. Place one (1) ladder onto a firm surface
2. Take one (1) cube of Project Icebreaker© Cube of Pykrete in your hand
3. Drop one (1) cube of Project Icebreaker© Cube of Pykrete from 2 meters
4. Record resulting weight of Project Icebreaker© Project Icebreaker© Cube of
Pykrete.
5. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
6. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
7. Record all data

Test #6: Pressure resistance (if possible):

1. Place one (1) Project Icebreaker© Cube of Pykrete inside of the hydraulic press.
2. Step back to a reasonable distance (Recommended seven (7) feet or more.).
3. Set a stopwatch
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4. Activate Hydraulic Press and begin the stopwatch

5. While the hydraulic press is activated, have someone monitor the pressure
being applied and note at what point the Pykrete breaks.
6. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
7. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
8. Record all data
Test #6 (Alternative): Pressure resistance (if possible):
1. Place one (1) Project Icebreaker© Cube of Pykrete into a vice
2. Rotate vice handle until it makes contact with the Project Icebreaker© Cube of
Pykrete.
3. Begin rotating handles until fractures begin to appear within the cube.
4. Record turns
5. Begin rotating until Project Icebreaker© Cube of Pykrete is shatters under the
force of the vice
6. Record turns
7. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
8. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
9. Record all data
Test #7: Melting rate
1. Place one (1) pykrete sawdust cube in direct sunlight or appropriate substitute
2. Set stopwatch and record approximate percentage melted every 3 minutes
3. When fully melted, record time at which occurred
4. Repeat all previous steps with ice, pykrete newspaper, pykrete sawdust w/ gel,
pykrete newspaper w/ gel cubes.
5. Repeat all previous steps to compose a second trial run
6. Record all data