What can I add to water to increase viscosity? (Thicken it)?

Question

I'm looking for a somthing that I can add to a tub of water to increase its viscosity. Perhaps some sort of gelatin powder? The consistency of a heavy oil or a light honey is what I'm looking for.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You could try a polymer that will dissolve in water such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Heating and stirring will help it to dissolve. However to get a noticeable change in viscosity you will need to add a lot, but PVA ir reasonably cheap and easy to get hold of.

Answer 2

Increase Viscosity Of Water

Answer 3

It depends on what you intend to do with the water. You can thicken it the same way honey is thickened, by dissoving sugar until you get a thick syrup. Methyl Cellulose works well. It is non-toxic and fairly inexpensive. I used to add it to protozoan cultures so that when the students looked at Paramecium or other fast-moving organisms under the microscope, the organisms would be slowed down by the thicker medium so that the students could actually focus on one instead of having them zip by too fast to really see.

Answer 4

mix a little cornstarch with cold water, then add it slowly to boiling water while stirring. Add as much as you need to get the thickness you're looking for.

About 1 tsp cornstarch to 1/2 cup water

Answer 5

Jello

Answer 6

flour and water is a cheap way of making paste if you don't get the right mix. gelatin isn't soluble until high temps (cooling gets you jello). cornstarch might work though

Answer 7

Powdered gelatin would work, so would cornstarch. I think flour would be too pasty, it would dissolve particularly well.

Answer 8

Polyvinyl alcohol with a cross linking agent like borate.

Answer 9

Any solid that dissolves in water will do the trick - salt, corn flour, chemicals

Answer 10

try cornflower, thickeneing agent - should be able to get it from a chemist, oil won't work, oil and water never mix