Observations on sand jets in viscoplastic fluids

Sand jet in non-Newtonian viscoplastic fluid is associated with a number of industrial and engineering applications, including sand capping for the reclamation of oilsands tailings ponds and sediment deposition into soft mud. In this study, several experiments were carried out by depositing circular sand jets vertically into viscoplastic fluids, known as Laponite gel. The deformation regimes of sand jets in the gel were investigated. The yield-gravity parameter of the deformed sand drop in the gel was computed.