NASA Collaboration Yields Breakthroughs in Product Stability

NASA's space research has led to significant advancements in the development of everyday products like toothpaste and salad dressing. Since 2001, NASA has been studying the behavior of colloids aboard the International Space Station, where the lack of gravity allows for intricate study of how particles separate and settle.

In a unique collaboration with Procter & Gamble (P&G), this research has led to the development of three patents aimed at enhancing the stability of these products. The partnership between NASA and P&G is unusual but scientifically useful, as it combines the expertise of both organizations to tackle complex problems.

Colloids are mixtures in which small particles are suspended in another substance without dissolving. Examples include paint, milk, lotions, salad dressing, and toothpaste. On Earth, gravity can cause particles to settle, oil to separate from water, and products to spoil sooner. The microgravity aboard the space station was ideal for studying colloids.

The 2001 experiment that opened the door to this research was conducted on the Physics of Colloids in Space experiment, which flew to the station aboard Space Shuttle flight STS-100. This experiment operated for thirteen months within the Destiny laboratory aboard the station, collecting information about colloidal suspensions like paints and milk.

The collaboration between NASA and P&G led to six rounds of station experiments that ran from 2013 onward. The researchers used the station's confocal microscope to create three-dimensional images of colloids in microgravity, producing data that could not be gathered on Earth. This research has helped design products that do not separate, something shoppers rarely notice on the shelf.