What?
S Cephei (Suspension of Carbon Nanotubes under dielectrophoretic Influence) is an experiment which shall document the alignment of carbon-nanotubes (CNTs) by dielectrophoresis under microgravitational influence.
Who?
The institute of aerospace engineering of the TU Dresden on CNTs. The student team S Cephei is developing and executing an experiment for the alignment of CNTs under microgravitational influence. Two team members will write an academic paper about the experiment.
Why?
Die Forschung an CNTs wird schon lange vorangetrieben. Durch die Einbettung von Kohlenstoffnanoröhrchen in verschiedenste Trägermaterialien können deren Materialeigenschaften beeinflusst werden. CNT verstärkte Materialien können zum ESD Schutz, als Smart Material, in der Sensorik und zur Armierung verwendet werden. S Cephei dient damit nicht nur zum Verständnis des Ausrichtungsprozesses, sondern auch zur Grundlagenforschung.
How?
The alignment is achieved in the experiment by dielectrophoresis as a result of an electric field, whereby the electric field is caused by applying an alternating voltage to a capacitor. This process is influenced by temperature, viscosity of the suspension, frequency and amplitude of the alternating voltage, and the type and quantity of CNTs. Several cameras are used for documentation, which allows a three-dimensional model to be generated by software, thus improving the understanding of the process.
When & Where?
The REXUS Rocketwill launch in March 2021 2022 2023 in Esrange (Sweden). It will reach an altitude of around 80 km and experience a gravitational phase of 2 minutes.
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