Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10)

Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10) investigates the growth kinetics, microscopic dynamics, and restructuring processes in ordered and disordered structures such as colloidal crystals, glasses and gels. The investigation studies crystal nucleation in colloidal fluids, the origin of ageing in glasses and gels, as well as the heterogeneous nature of the microscopic dynamics in these structures. The study must be conducted in microgravity, as gravitational stresses affect the structure and growth of these solids from colloids.

The experiment has concluded, and science is being evaluated.

The general goal of Advanced Colloids Experiment-Temperature-10 (ACE-T-10) is to investigate solidification in colloidal suspensions under microgravity conditions, where 'colloidal solids' means all structures displaying a yield stress, such as colloidal crystals, glasses and gels. The phase diagrams of colloidal suspensions parallel those of simple molecular systems. Yet, since the interactions between colloidal particles can be ‘tailored’, colloidal suspensions prove to be simpler and better models to study phase transitions or dynamical arrest.

Using a new fluorinated colloidal system on the space station, researchers can precisely tune mechanical properties of gels, shedding new light on the physics of these structures. This knowledge can be applied in efforts to grow increasingly complex materials with greater design control. Formation of gels and glasses from colloids may provide an efficient method to build new materials and equipment in space.

Gels and glasses that form from colloids have been studied extensively, because of their relevance to understanding formation of protein networks in biological systems and their potential uses for industrial applications. Colloidal gels are easily disrupted by small disturbances such as gravitational forces and understanding the gel formation process in microgravity can shine new light on gravity’s role. Colloidal particles have potential as the building blocks of new materials for a range of applications including foods, drugs, and electronic devices.

Space Station Research Explorer