Scientists to use Metrohm’s products aboard the ISS
Herisau – Scientists plan to investigate the conversion of urine into water on the International Space Station. Metrohm products will be used for this research.
The manufacturer of high-precision instruments Metrohm has developed the DropSens product family, bringing together electrochemical and spectroscopic approaches in the analysis and measuring processes. Now, the DropSens products will be used aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as was reported in a press release from the company in the St.GallenBodenseeArea.
The analysis instruments are being used in a collaborative research project between scientists at the University of Alicante in Spain and the University of Puerto Rico. They plan to investigate the more efficient use of water reserves in space, studying the conversion of urine into water under microgravity conditions. This process involves converting urea from urine into ammonia. Ammonia then goes through the electrochemical oxidation process, resulting in nitrogen gas, water, and energy. While the electrochemical oxidation of ammonia is a well-established reaction on Earth, it is not known how well this process behaves in a sustained microgravity environment.
The research groups chose Metrohm DropSens products for their study for various reasons, not least because these product materials have already been approved by NASA.