Q: What is the purpose of this project?
A: The purpose of this project is to test the strength properties of Pykrete as compared to ice.
Q: What is Pykrete made of?
A: Pykrete is made of 86% ice and 14% sawdust and wood pulp.
Q: How did Pykrete come about?
A: In 1942, during the heat of WWII, Geoffrey Pyke of Canada came up with the idea to build boats out of the ice and wood pulp compound. The idea was relatively sound due to the strength, material availability, cost and ease of construction, but never fully convinced the military leaders to take action.
Q: What makes Pykrete stronger than ice?
A: The sawdust and wood pulp add a different degree of strength. The fibers in the wood products give the ice a bump in resilience without compromising the initial strength. It is like adding the tensile strength of steel to the compression strength of concrete.
Q: How are you testing the strength properties of Pykrete?
A: We are testing the strength properties with a few methods. The first is to use a hydraulic press to see how much strength can be applied to the Pykrete. The second is to place the block of Pykrete between two ledges and placing a hanging weight in the middle to test the strength.
Q: What are you doing to learn about the properties of Pykrete?
A: In order to gain a better understanding of the structure of Pykrete we plan to look at the Pykrete under a microscope and researching those properties.
Q: Why was Pykrete never fully developed?
A: The uncontrollable nature of ice and problems in terms of melting halted any progress that would have taken place. Its hard to place your trust in what is essentially frozen water.
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