College - Author 1

College of Engineering

Department - Author 1

Materials Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Materials Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Engineering

Department - Author 2

Materials Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Materials Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Engineering

Department - Author 3

Materials Engineering Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Materials Engineering

Date

6-2021

Primary Advisor

Jean Lee, College of Engineering, Materials Engineering Department

Abstract/Summary

The purpose of this project is to develop a non-toxic mud thickening agent for the application of decreasing mudslide intensity where performance is measured by flow rate, viscosity, and toxicity tests. We hypothesized that dental cements could be a potential candidate due to their adhesive, hydrophilic, and biocompatible properties. Zinc phosphate, glass ionomer, and polycarboxylate cement were among the dental cements tested. These tests were performed at low and high concentrations of 25 grams and 125 grams, respectively, mixed into soil to produce 3500 gram samples. The dental cements produced noticeable thickening effects in the mud, as the average viscosity for each soil treatment was at least 4.4 times higher than the average viscosity of untreated soil. The average flow rate for each soil treatment was at least 1.5 times slower than untreated soil. Among the low concentration dental cements, glass ionomer demonstrated the best and most consistent performance as a mud thickener with a flow rate of 0.08 cm/sec (where the smallest angle at which flow began at 56°), and a viscosity of 9650 mPa-s. Ryegrass seeds were planted in treated and untreated soils to evaluate toxicity and were measured at 7 weeks of growth. Polycarboxylate exhibited the highest sugar content of all treated soils; however, glass ionomer had greater biomass and average height.

Available for download on Saturday, June 13, 2026

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