Density of Molten Zirconium-Oxygen System Measured with an Electrostatic Levitation Furnace in the International Space Station

Abstract

To take advantage of microgravity where huge electrical fields are not necessary to levitate samples using Coulomb force, zirconium samples were electrostatically positioned under an argon environment with the electrostatic levitation furnace (ELF) on the International Space Station (ISS). These samples were melted and gradually oxidized due to residual oxygen in the argon gas. Densities of Zr-O system with high oxygen concentration were successfully obtained, showing a negative dependence on oxygen concentration. The results show that the relationship between oxygen fraction and molar volume slightly deviates from linearity.