2014/02/06

Space Station Live: Investigating "Genius Materials" On the Space Station

Space Station Live commentator Pat Ryan talks to Dr. Eric Furst, Principal Investigator for the InSPACE experiment, from the University of Delaware. InSpace, or Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions, studies the fundamental behavior of magnetic colloidal fluids under the influence of various magnetic fields.

These fluids are classified as smart materials which transition to a solid-like state by the formation and cross-linking of microstructures in the presence of a magnetic field. This technology has promise to improve the ability to design structures, such as bridges and buildings, and to better withstand earthquake damage.

Furst describes colloids as "really interesting building blocks of matter to assemble other structures from or other useful, functional types of materials - 'genius materials' as some people have called them."

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