Using the Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as viscosity modifier to model the interstitial fluid in laboratory debris flows

This work refers about the use of Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as viscosity modifier of the interstitial fluid in laboratory debris flows. The transparency feature of CMC-water solutions allows to inquire on the kinematics of such events. In facts, velocity of solid grains can be detected via PIV techniques at the transparent walls of an open channel flow laboratory. However, the main interest arises from the possibility of making CMC-water solutions of desired dynamic viscosities. This allows establishing a double model of similitude by which the concentration of CMC, to be used in laboratory for the reproduction of a specific real debris flow event, can be derived. The relation between the dynamic viscosity, temperature and concentration is obtained for the prototype and, hence, for the model by a double regression on viscometric measurements.