Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32268: How Microgravity Sculpts Polymers: Investigating Polycaprolactone Crystals in Space

What happens to materials when they’re processed in the weightlessness of space? This question led a team from Calvary Christian School in Columbus, Georgia, to explore how microgravity affects the crystallinity of polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polymer commonly used in medical and environmental applications. Their experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) focused on annealing polycaprolactone from the melt — a process of heating and slowly cooling a polymer to improve its structural order.

In Earth's gravity, this annealing process is influenced by buoyancy and convection, but in microgravity, these forces are absent. The team aimed to determine whether crystals formed in space are more ordered or structurally different than those formed on Earth. Understanding this could improve material performance in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.

The experiment is significant for students and researchers alike, as it bridges classroom learning with real-world, hands-on science in space. By examining structural changes under microgravity, students not only practiced scientific inquiry but contributed to future innovations in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and environmentally sustainable packaging.

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