INASMET chemical combustion experiments in microgravity

2002/03/15 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Materialak
• Kimika

The generation of alloys from powdered metals is simple. By applying activation energy, that is, by heating by a resistance, an exothermic reaction occurs that spreads naturally and the metals are mixed. But how does this reaction occur in microgravity?

The INASMET center is immersed in a research project in which the chemist Iñigo Agote will participate in parabolic flights.

Microgravity is usually obtained by a free fall from a tower, a probe rocket and an airplane. In this project the last option has been selected, since a microgravity of about 25 seconds can be achieved without a very high cost.

Next week, therefore, an Airbus 300 aircraft, specially prepared for this, will carry out 30 parabolic flights. Each of these flights consists of three phases: 45º ascending flight, parabolic route obtained by deceleration and 45º descending flight. In the first and third phase, gravity is 1.8 g, but in the second phase microgravity is generated, that is, an almost ingravitated state.

With these experiments it will be possible to know whether in these special circumstances the mechanisms of reactions are modified.