Making Latex Microspheres in Space

Equipment yields larger, more uniform particles. Two NASA reports describe first commercial product to be manufactured in space. Product monodisperse latex, suspension of spherical particles of essentially same diameter. Carried aboard Space Shuttle on its orbital missions, monodisperse latex reactor (MLR) produces spheres of much larger size than possible on Earth. Mircospheres 30 micrometers in diameter produced, whereas 5 micrometers is limit for Earthbound reactors. Microspheres as large as 100 micrometers scheduled for production in MLR.