32 MARCH 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE WATER WELL INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry a heavy metal cone used to measure penetration, was dropped five time each in both the chips and tablets, and the results were averaged. Average penetration into chips was almost 2½ inches, while for tablets, it averaged about 1½ inches. Chips had a softer hydrated set than the tablets, making them more prone to perforation. The second myth of problematic placement for tablets was debunked using a sink-rate test. Both chips and tablets were sunk 40 times each into a clear pipe marked to a seven-foot depth. The results: medium chips with an average sinking rate of .83 feet per second, while medium tablets had an average sinking rate of 1.07 feet per second. Undoubtedly, bentonite tablets provide superior structural integrity and sealing capability, as well as a faster sinking rate. Tablets also hydrate faster than chips. Knowing this is important to an environmental well contractor or water well contractor needing to seal and isolate the area above a well screen gravel/filter pack to prevent grout from penetrating into the production zone or seal around tight spaces. Bentonite & Chips cont’d from page 29 . Bentonite tablets & chips.
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