Shooting Pykrete

Mike Fletcher makes up a batch of "Pykrete" a mixture of sawdust and water, when frozen, is said to be stronger than concrete so he shoots it with a rifle to see it that's true.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• pykrete
• rifle
• shooting
• explosion
• ice
• fun

[livedive]

He used geoffrey pyke's recipe.

[ManintheArmor]

Could this stuff be used as a kind of personal body armor, aside from the fact it melts?

[DeadiestCatch]

You'd be better using Psuedo-pycrete from MythBusters. It's made of newspaper instead of wood-pulp. It's so much more durable and strong.

[usnut14]

who knew about pykrete from mythbusters?

[51516]

The Ozzard of Whizz!

[horsegirl48484848]

The pykerete should be 84% water 16%pulp not 10%

[Intranetusa]

@ManintheArmor

Too bulky and heavy

[killallianceftw]

@dlneudecker Thats at least what I watched on History channels weird weapons, I have since learned that it was the English. Thanks for that anyways.

[dlneudecker]

@killallianceftw WRONG, the english wanted to do it, but they found that the amount of energy and materials needed to make a refrigeration unit large enough to make the pykrete would have cost as much and used as much material as an aircraft carrier.

[AzyrenIshida]

Russia would love some for their troops.

[ManintheArmor]

Part 3

However, volume-wise, the frozen samples where much lighter than other materials of equivalent thickness. Weight-wise, the frozen samples were far thicker.

Note though, the weight did vary depending on the material used to reinforce the pykrete. Penetration depth also varied.

Also note, easy to repair when placed back in freezer.

Conclusion: You'll need at least an inch for some protection. 10 minutes of no cooling will render the armor useless. Best used in cold climates.

[ManintheArmor]

Part 2

Although the externally reinforced ice lacked the strength and insulation of the internally reinforced ice, it was easy to make. The container could also be filled with ice cubes before water was added, boosting the speed at which the water froze in the freezer.

Both samples were shot at with a BB gun. Compared to the 2mm steel or PAGST helmet samples, the ice received slightly greater penetration (only a few mm's deep). (Continue to part 3)

[ManintheArmor]

Part 1

Did a few experiments with this pykrete stuff. Of course, rather than using wood pulp I used paper towels, as well as empty containers.

With the paper towels, the ice was internally reinforced. This greatly increased the strength of the ice, as well as giving it greater insulation. The sample displayed great resistance to hammer impact.

With the empty containers, the ice was externally reinforced. This ensured the ice didn't scatter too far when damaged. (Continue to part 2)