Microgravity >> Material Science

Materials science is an extremely broad field that encompasses the study of all materials. Materials scientists seek to understand the formation, structure, and properties of materials on various scales, ranging from atomic to microscopic to macroscopic (large enough to be visible) levels. Establishing relationships between the structures of materials, their properties, and the way they are produced is fundamental to the study of materials.

The microgravity materials sciences use the unique characteristics of the microgravity environment to study fundamental issues in materials solidification and crystal growth. Of particular interest is the study of the roles of buoyancy-driven convection, sedimentation, and hydrostatic pressure in the formation of electronic and photonic materials, metals, alloys, composites, glasses, ceramics, and polymers.

NANOSLAB: Study of aggregation mechanism and kinetics of ZSM-5 and Silicate-1 nanoslabs into ZMS-5/Silicate-1 hybrid phases under microgravity conditions.

Materials science research in microgravity may lead to better understanding of the processes used to produce these materials on Earth. Such knowledge can be used to design better process control strategies on Earth. Microgravity experimentation may eventually allow the production of limited sample quantities of high-quality materials or of samples exhibiting unique properties for use as theoretical "benchmarks." In addition, researchers may also find ways to combine materials in order to obtain unique structures in microgravity that ordinarily would not form under the effects of Earth's gravity. This may lead to the creation of new types of materials that perform better than current materials or that have properties unlike any available today.

Text source: Hampton University/NASAl

 

Links

ESA Material Science in Space Website