Observation of a diffusion process of protein solution in microgravity environment

Pure liquid-liquid diffusion driven by concentration gradients is hard to study in normal gravity environments because convection and sedimentation also contribute to the mass transfer process. In this study, a March-Zehnder interferometer was used to monitor the mass transfer process of a water droplet in EAFP protein solution under normal gravity and microgravity condition provided by the No. 8 Shi Jian satellite. A series of the evolution charts of mass distribution during the diffusion process of the liquid droplet are presented and the relevant diffusion coefficient is determined. Copyright IAF/IAA. All rights reserved.