Can molten metals in space get shaped like glass on Earth?
Can molten metals in space get shaped like glass on Earth?
What might prevent metal "blowing" and other forms of shaping from working if gravity was not a factor? Let's handwave-ignore the extremes of temperature as it relates to techniques and the present primitive space habitats and craft.
Is it possible to suspend a pool of molten metal, with a tube inside, spin while adding a gas to shape a container, and form more complex shapes through additional heat cycles in a repeatable process?
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Why would you need to go to space to try this? And since you're thinking in space, how would you cool it down?
I have not invented antigravity. If you have any pointers, I'm all ears. /s
Why does it need to be in no gravity? Glass blowing isn't done in no gravity.
Intuitively, when I have handled molten metals, they are deceptively heavy and viscous. There is very little time when they are in a mushy slushy state or like Taffy in the way that glass behaves. I thought, perhaps if the pool of molten metal were somehow suspended in an environment without gravity, it might be possible to apply glass blowing techniques for shaping.
I know centrifugal casting is a thing and used a lot by gold smiths in jewelry making. It was just a moment of curious imagination this morning thinking perhaps someone one day in the future might manually work metal in space like how glass in worked on Earth. I've been thinking about how things might be manufactured differently in a distant future when most of humanity lives in cislunar space habitats. This post was just a half curious passing shower thought.
Space is cold, the question is how would you keep it hot?
Sure, but temperature is useless in a vacuum. The heat has nowhere to go. There is some ambient radiation in space, but not enough. Temperature regulation is a serious thing for astronauts.
Things still do cool in shaded space, though, it just takes longer. The James Webb took like a month or two to get down to cryogenic IIRC.
I have a feeling OP was worried about gravity, which isn't usually helpful here, but isn't actually a dealbreaker. Glass is heavy too.
Space is cold, but since it's a vacuum (a great insulator) keeping things cool is a greater challenge.
Metal has excellent heat capacity, why wouldn't it stay hot on earth?
Are you saying things won't stay hot in space? The exact opposite is true! It's very hard to keep things from over heating if you have a heat source.