Space Station Live: Binary Colloidal Alloy Test

Payload Operations Engineer Martin Richard, from the Canadian Space Agency, describes the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test that is aboard the International Space Station. BCAT-C1 will study nano-scale particles dispersed in a liquid, known as a colloidal suspension, commonly found in such commercial commodities as paint, electronic polishing compounds and food products. These suspensions have the unique property that they will phase separate (like oil and water) and the particles will self-assemble into crystals that interact strongly with light (like opal). Photographing these samples in microgravity will allow the measurement of these processes while avoiding the effects of particles sinking due to gravity. This study will allow the development of new insights into this important material process.