1. Crystal Tetras
Co-Principal Investigators: Madelyn Hickman, Tony Holmes,
Jacob Rubio, Kalista Ybarra
Teacher Facilitators: Serena Connally Science Teacher Hobby Middle School
Ronica Korn and Michael Dawson Teachers Howsman Elementary School
jakes part

2. Introduction
Our experiment will help us determine how microgravity affects the growth of sodium tetraborate crystals.
Without the impact of gravity, will crystals develop differently? Will there be more crystals? Will they be shaped differently?
We think our experiment, if our hypothesis is correct, that the crystals will be better quality (more abundant and increased clarity).
tony
Our experiment will help us determine how microgravity affects the growth of sodium tetraborate crystals. We have found that developing crystals in outer space allows us to study their structure as they form without the effects of gravity. Gravity causes heavier components to sink, and lighter components to rise in solutions on earth. This will probably affect the shape and growth of crystals during their development.Without the impact of gravity, will crystals develop differently? Will there be more crystals? Will they be shaped differently? These are all of the questions we are hoping to answer. Our experiment on Crystal growth can possibly help researchers who are studying crystals for various reasons. For example, Japanese researchers are studying crystal growth in the forms of proteins. The researchers are hoping to develop a more effective method of curing and preventing the growth and spread of disease. By studying crystal growth in a microgravity setting, opportunities for their research may be a good impact. That is one of the many reasons crystal growth and research can positively impact people’s life, including you and I. We think our experiment, if our hypothesis is correct, that the crystals will be better quality (more abundant and increased clarity); it will greatly impact scientific research of tomorrow.

3. Question: Hypothesis:
How will microgravity affect the growth of borax - sodium tetraborate - crystals?
Hypothesis:
In a microgravity environment, the crystals will grow at a more robust rate and will grow larger.
Kalista

4. Materials · Borax (Sodium tetraborate) · Deionized water
· Ethyl alcohol anhydrous
· Fluids Mixing Enclosure (FME) type 3
· Type 3 kit provided by NanoRacksLLC
· Syringe
· Screw driver
· Safety materials: gloves, goggles, aprons
kalista

5. Procedures
The following procedures were performed twice, once for the space experimental and once for the Earth actual control.
Prepare and load the Fluid Mixing Enclosure
Volume 1 contains distilled water
Volume 2 contains sodium tetraborate (Borax)
Volume 3 contains ethyl alcohol
jakes part
Put end cap in one end of the Fluid Mixing Enclosure (FME). Zip tie around the end cap and mark with green tape.
Put first clamp ⅓ of the way from the end cap.
Using the syringe fill the first enclosure with 3 mL of distilled water
Close the clamp tight, color with green sharpie.
Dry out the inside of the FME with pressurized air
Put second clamp ⅔ away from the first end cap
Fill second enclosure with 0.13g of sodium tetraborate (borax)
Close second clamp tight, color with blue sharpie.
Put second end clamp with hole on the other end of the tube. Zip tie around the end cap and mark with blue tape.
Using a different syringe measure 3 mL of ethanol and fill in the last enclosure through the screw opening.
Put the screw in the opening and tighten it to make sure none of the ethanol comes out.

6. Procedures
Once in space the astronauts will open clamp A and shake the FME for 2 minutes at time A=0. We will do the same here with the Earth actual FME.
At A+2 the astronauts will shake the FME for 1 minute then open clamp B and shake the FME for another minute. We will do the same with the Earth actual FME.
When the FME returns from space we will open both FME’s and examine both using a microscope. We will look for clear crystals that can be x-rayed using x-ray crystallography.
A crystal from each FME will be x-rayed and analyzed by Dr. Arman Hadi at University of Texas at San Antonio.

7. Results Borax – sodium tetraborate – Na2B4O5(OH)4 ● 8H2O
Figure 1. Generic Shoe box ( unit cell)
After opening the Fluid Mixing Enclosures (FME), we saw that the space experimental crystals had more microcrystalline clusters than single crystals. The Earth actual sample contained more single crystals than microcrystalline clusters. When compared under a microscope, the crystalline forms grown in a microgravity environment were shorter and flatter.
kalista

8. New Questions
Will crystals of another substance grow better than the sodium tetraborate crystals?
If we had more time, would the crystals have grown better?
Would a larger container allow for the growth of larger single crystals?
Would a larger container allow for the growth of fewer microcrystalline clusters?
kalista

9. Conclusion
In conclusion, we were more than capable of growing crystals in a microgravity environment and the microgravity variable between the two FME grown crystals does play a role in the type and quality of crystals grown.
We have learned that the crystals grown on Earth as well as in space have many similarities and differences. We also learned that the microgravity environment does affect the growth of the crystals (in both shape and quantity).
tony
The crystals grown on Earth, affected by gravity, grew more singular crystals, while the crystals grown on the ISS in the microgravity environment, formed more microcrystalline clumps. We were not able to determine whether microgravity impacts the size of crystals grown based on the data we collected, however, quantity was affected.

10. Future Expansion
If we had another chance to do this we would like to try other crystals and compare them to the tetraborate crystals and see how they are similar and different.
We would like to grow microcrystalline clumps and see if there is a difference in how the clumps form.
We also would like more time to grow the crystals.
jakes part

11. San Antonio Partner Organizations Thank you for your support.
Texas Space Grant Consortium at University of Texas at Austin
Northside Education Foundation
University of Texas at San Antonio
Southwest Research Institute
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Robert Trevino, San Antonio City Councilman District 1
Rey Saldana, San Antonio City Councilman District 4
Shirley Gonzalez, San Antonio City Councilman District 5
Ray Lopez, San Antonio City Councilman District 6
Chris Medina, San Antonio City Councilman District 7
Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio City Councilman District 8
Mike Gallagher, San Antonio City Councilman District 10
Julian Castro, former Mayor of San Antonio
Ivy Taylor, Mayor of San Antonio
National Defense Education Program/Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division
City of San Antonio
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), SSEP National Partner
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education