EURECA and SGF performances

The EURECA platform offers unique characteristics for microgravity research: a very low level micro-gravity spectrum and a long operation time for recoverable experiments.

Five core facilities on board will perform an impressive number of experiments. The main purpose of the Solution Growth Facility (SGF) is growing crystals at low temperatures by using the double diffusion technique in three compartment reactors. The micro-gravity eliminates the convection in the liquid, while Marangoni convection is avoided by the absence of free surfaces. The thermal gradient in the buffer zone is better than 0.01°C/cm. Turbulence is eliminated by control of the valve rate and by a pressure compensation system. All surfaces are coated with Halar. The diffusion rate can be controlled by the use of filters. The SGF contains three independently controlled reactors.

A forth reactor contains an experiment aiming at measuring the Soret coefficient of twenty binary organic mixtures and aqueous electrolyte solutions.