Preparation and properties of novel building materials at low temperature

With the rapid development of science and technology, civil engineering in the cryogenic environment has become popular. It is reported that Pykrete (a mixture made of approximately 14 wt% of sawdust and 86 wt% of water) is stronger after cryogenic treatment. We utilized newspaper instead of sawdust and added Sodium Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose-Gelatin Polyelectrolyte Complex (SGPC) into water to make Ultimate Pykrete in order to improve mechanical strength. Results indicate that Ultimate Pykrete has several desirable properties including high strength, low weight and short curing time, therefore can potentially be utilized as a building material for civil engineering in the cryogenic environment with the demand of sustainable development.