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We explore. You benefit. [1]

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Date: 2022-09

Foams in our daily lives

Foams and emulsions are ubiquitous in our daily lives. They are common in nature and frequently appear in human-made products in a number of industries, including the food and drink industry which is the EU’s biggest manufacturing sector in terms of jobs and value added. It also includes the chemical industry, engulfing areas such as paints, coatings, surface treatments, advanced polymers, personal care products, and detergents.

Microgravity research on the International Space Station for optimising industrial applications

Understanding the phenomena that influences the stability of foams and emulsions is necessary to efficiently developing more advanced products and applications. Creating the right type of foam on demand is tricky and studies on Earth are complicated by the influence of gravity. Liquid flows downwards on Earth and foams are torn apart by gravity pulling on the bubbles. A European Space Agency (ESA) experiment onboard the International Space Station (ISS) enables astronauts to perform a study on foams in weightlessness because the bubbles are evenly spread rather than the larger bubbles floating to the top.

Experiments on-board the ISS have shown that foams are more stable under microgravity because they remain wet. It has even been possible to make pure water foams! By pursuing foams research in microgravity, we can obtain better information and models to set the most optimal conditions to produce and assemble products containing foams as well as to more efficiently and effectively suppress foams through antifoams agents.

“It was for our business a game changer” Cécile Gehin-Delval, Nestlé Research Laboratories, Orbe, Switzerland.

The impact of the experiment

ESA’s microgravity research is helping the food industry understand the science behind the foams found in many types of food and drink such as meringues and coffee. Food and beverages industries can take advantage to enhance their quality, texture, taste and shelf-life from the supermarket to the consumers’ fridge. Numerous industrial applications can benefit from foams R&D in space: cleaning, cosmetic, fire-fighting products and medicines are just some examples.

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[1] Url: http://youbenefit.spaceflight.esa.int/foams-in-space-for-products-on-earth/

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