How well can materials perform when they are “freed” from gravity and are evenly heated and solidified?

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: China Science Expo

Producer: China Science Expo

With the rapid development of aerospace technology, space is no longer just a place for astronauts to travel, but also an important platform for scientists to conduct cutting-edge scientific research. Among them, space material science experiments, as an important research field, are bringing unprecedented material revolution to mankind.

Space: A new arena for materials science

On Earth, due to the influence of gravity, materials will spontaneously settle during the melting and solidification process, resulting in structural defects or reduced purity of the materials, thus affecting their performance. However, in the microgravity environment of space, this problem is solved. Scientists have found that under the microgravity conditions of space, materials can be heated and solidified uniformly, and it is expected that materials with better performance can be prepared.

Starting from the Soviet Union's Mir space station, scientists have introduced on-orbit melting payloads in the space station and obtained material samples with better performance in a microgravity environment. Today, in China's Tiangong space station, there are two experimental devices in the field of materials science, the "containerless science experiment cabinet" and the "high-temperature materials science experiment cabinet", which are being used by scientists to carry out various materials science research.

Containerless Science Experiment Cabinet

**The containerless scientific experiment cabinet is located in the Tianhe core module. It is one of the earliest experimental platforms to enter space and is deployed on the top of the Tianhe core module. **It uses electrostatic suspension technology to allow experimental samples to suspend in the middle of the cavity without a container. This containerless environment eliminates the influence of the outside world on the material, allowing the material to achieve higher temperatures and greater supercooling, thereby triggering the improvement of some unique performance of the material structure.

The whole experimental process is very magical. After the laser is turned on, the sample can be continuously heated to a temperature of more than 2000 degrees. After the material sample melts, the surrounding physical state measurement camera measures it. After the heating is completed, the small ball quickly cools and solidifies, entering a deep supercooled state, and then it is recovered through electrostatic field control.

In the containerless scientific experiment cabinet, scientists have carried out space experiments on key materials such as nickel-based high-temperature materials and niobium-silicon alloys, which are also key materials for the new generation of aircraft engines. These experimental results not only promote the research and ground production of high-performance materials, but also provide strong support for key areas such as future aircraft engines.

High temperature material science experiment cabinet

If the containerless scientific experiment cabinet is an ideal environment for studying the physical properties of materials, then the high-temperature material scientific experiment cabinet is a "dream factory" for preparing materials in space . The main body of this experiment cabinet is a high-temperature furnace, which can be regarded as an "alchemy furnace" with a furnace temperature of up to 1,600 degrees Celsius. Here, scientists can conduct research and preparation of various new materials.

Scientists can choose different types of high-temperature furnaces according to the melting point or properties of the materials. The batch sample management module is loaded with 16 sample boxes, and the experiment of each sample is completed through the control module. The X-ray transmission imaging device allows ground scientists to observe the progress of the experiment in real time.

The high temperature material science experiment cabinet supports a wide range of research fields, including high temperature metal and alloy materials, advanced semiconductor materials, functional crystal materials, energy materials, biomaterials, nanomaterials, and new materials that are difficult to prepare on the ground. These materials are not only closely related to our daily lives, but also promote the progress and development of human society.

Space experiments: leading to a materials revolution

Through space material science experiments on the Tiangong space station, scientists have achieved a series of remarkable results. These results not only reveal the profound impact of the space microgravity environment on material preparation, but also provide valuable experience and inspiration for future material science research and application.

With the continuous advancement of space technology and the continuous improvement of space experiment platforms, we have reason to believe that the next revolution in the field of new materials is quietly coming in the space age. Future space material science experiments will pay more attention to the integration of multidisciplinary cross-disciplinary and cutting-edge technologies, and promote the development of material science to a higher level and a wider range of fields.

Space material science experiments in space are an important manifestation of human exploration of the unknown and pursuit of innovation. It allows us to see the infinite possibilities of material science in the new environment of space, and also makes us full of expectations and longings for the future. With the continuous efforts of scientists and the continuous advancement of space technology, I believe that we will witness the arrival of this material revolution one day in the future.