Development and Construction of a Centrifuge for Materials Processing in High Accelerations

Abstract

Different accelerations, larger or smaller than Earth's gravity, can influence the materials solidification process. In order to study these effects in metallic alloys and semiconductors, a research centrifuge was developed at the Associated Laboratory of Sensors and Materials of the National Institute of Space Research (LABAS / INPE). The equipment aims to study the materials solidification both under high accelerations and also at the launching conditions of the VSB-30 sounding rocket, which reaches 180 RPM (revolutions per minute) during upward flight. This launcher was used to perform microgravity experiments in previous laboratory work. This paper presents the design, the component fabrication and the centrifuge assembly.