Notes On Doping Agents

(Mixing Stage)

Talcum Powder (Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂)

Mixes very well, easy to get to uniform consistancy
Doesn't seem to clump during mixing
Not lumpy when measuring quantity in weigh boat (ie. more exact)

Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂)

Lumpy in storage (may be caused by shelf time)
Takes more mixing to get to uniform consistancy
Still "spotty" in PVA
could be good or bad, may exibit a unique image under ultrasound

Caffeine Powder (C₈H₁₀N₄O₂)

Have to crush pills with mortar and pestle
- have to make sure to get pills ground down to a fine powder before adding to PVA
pills used were pink!
seemed to mix to a good consistancy

Aspirin Powder (C₉H₈O₄)

White pills
crushed easily
must make sure not to get pills with coating (would change results)
more "bitty" than other additives
- could be good or bad, will have to see ultrasound
still mixed easily, didn't clump together too much

Borax

DOES NOT WORK AT ALL
when mixed, it causes PVA to solidify, making it unusable
also a royal pain to clean tools afterwards

Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃)

mixes well, seems to have a good combination of solubility and pieces
more difficult to weigh because it can get compact in storage container, therefore causing it to be more dense
non scientifically, this is powdered chalk

Collagen

good amount of solubility, not completly gone, but somewhat dissolved
generally mixes well, until higher concentrations are added
could make phantoms more dense