Demixing of aqueous polymer two-phase systems in low gravity

Experiments on the effect of gravity on phase emulsion demixing were performed in order to study the potential of two-phase partitioning in space. The behavior of phase systems possessing phase density differences and systems with essentially identical phase densities was investigated during one-g and low-g parabolic aircraft maneuvers. It is found that demixing can occur rather rapidly in space, although more slowly than on earth. The Ostwald ripening theory predicts demixing rates many orders of magnitude lower than the observed values.