Surface Tension Elements
Reliable Liquid Acquisition. Vapor-Free Propellant Delivery.
Engineered porous metal structures that prevent gas ingestion and maintain consistent liquid propellant flow in spacecraft propulsion systems.
Key Benefits
- Vapor-free propellant delivery
- Reliable liquid acquisition
- Reduced gas ingestion risk
- Lightweight AM designs
- Mission-specific performance
Download the Surface Tension Elements Technical Datasheet
Why Surface Tension Elements?
Surface Tension Elements leverage capillary forces within engineered porous structures to preferentially transport liquid while rejecting gas. This enables reliable liquid acquisition in microgravity, low-gravity, and dynamic flight environments where traditional fluid management approaches can struggle.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Method | Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) |
| Available Materials | Ti-6Al-4V, 316L Stainless Steel, Inconel 625 |
| Porosity Range | 0–50% |
| Pore Size Range | 1–100 Microns |
| Feature Resolution | ±0.015″ (solid), ±0.020″ (porous) |
| Flow Consistency | ±10% |
| Build Volume | 9.7″ × 9.7″ × 13″ |
| Dimensional Consistency | ±0.001″–0.002″ |
| Machined Surface Finish | 5–32 μin Ra |
Engineering Capabilities
| Capability | Engineering Value |
|---|---|
| Gradient Porous Structures | Controlled liquid transport and capillary performance |
| Vapor Rejection | Minimizes gas ingestion risk |
| Capillary Wicking | Reliable liquid acquisition in low-gravity environments |
| Tunable Porosity | Performance tailored to mission requirements |
| Additive Manufacturing | Complex geometries beyond traditional manufacturing limits |
| Integrated Structures | Porous and solid features built as a single component |
| Lightweight Designs | Reduced system mass and footprint |
| Rapid Iteration | Faster development and optimization cycles |
Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Available Materials
| Material | Application Advantages |
|---|---|
| Ti-6Al-4V Titanium | High strength-to-weight ratio for spacecraft applications |
| 316L Stainless Steel | Corrosion resistance and manufacturing versatility |
| Inconel 625 | High-temperature and chemically aggressive environments |
| Custom Aerospace Alloys | Available for mission-specific requirements |
Key Benefits
Reliable Gas Exclusion
Helps prevent vapor ingestion into propulsion and fluid management systems.
Enhanced Propellant Utilization
Supports high levels of fluid extraction to maximize usable onboard propellant.
Lightweight Aerospace Design
Optimized geometries reduce component weight while maintaining performance.
Accelerated Development
Rapid iteration enables faster design refinement and qualification.
Additive Manufacturing Design Freedom
Complex internal structures enable performance levels difficult to achieve with conventional fabrication methods.
Mission-Specific Porous Architectures
Porosity gradients and pore structures can be customized for application requirements.
Why Mott Surface Tension Elements?
- Decades of porous media expertise
- Aerospace-focused engineering support
- Mission-specific porous architecture development
- Additive manufacturing design flexibility
- Rapid prototyping and qualification support
- high-performance hardware for next-generation spacecraft
Applications
- Satellite propulsion systems
- Spacecraft fuel management systems
- Orbital maneuvering systems
- Lunar exploration vehicles
- Deep-space missions
- In-space propulsion architectures
- Advanced fluid management systems
- Aerospace propellant tanks
Proudly Made in the USA
Manufactured in Mott’s AS9100-certified facility in Farmington, Connecticut, supporting mission-critical aerospace and defense applications.
Optimize Propellant Acquisition with Custom Surface Tension Elements
Work directly with Mott engineers to develop STE solutions tailored for spacecraft propulsion, fluid management, and next-generation space systems.