Colloids Commercial Microgravity Research Facility

Techshot is proposing to develop its ADvanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP)-2 payload along with a Colloids Cassette to research the structure and behavior of colloids for advanced commercial product development. Colloids can be defined as fluids with other particles dispersed in them, particularly particles of sizes approximately between 1 nanometer and 1 micrometer. By utilizing microgravity to study colloids, which make up many types of liquid products, commercial entities can gain more insight into their characteristics. Because colloids have widespread uses in industry, a greater understanding of the underlying physics that control their behavior has tremendous commercial financial potential. On earth, gravity complicates colloids research by causing heavy components to sink and lighter ones to float. This movement occurs very quickly, making it difficult to understand what is happening and why. Microgravity, however, negates these gravitational forces, revealing the natural movement of the colloids.Products such as toothpaste, cosmetics, paint, detergent, some pharmaceuticals and even some food products, such as milk and peanut butter, are considered colloids, and those products must fulfill the promises they promote to consumers – whether to have a long shelf life, be easy to use, or perform as advertised. In the case of products such as shampoos or liquid soaps, the purchaser does not want to see obvious physical separation of the material within the bottle (a sediment or settling problem). And liquid colloidal pharmaceuticals can be ineffective, or even dangerous, if not properly mixed prior to consumption.The ADSEP-2 will be an automated high-throughput research system that offers an innovative means to quickly homogenize and control multiple colloidal samples without crew involvement. It combines several Techshot technologies into one of the most versatile microgravity research platforms ever fielded – with significant commercial potential. More »