Titanium Oxide as an Innovative Antimicrobial Coatings for Spacecraft

The advancement of technology has made it possible for humanity to remain in space for a certain amount of time. One of the restraints astronauts face to prolong their stay in space is microbial contamination.

Based on a microbial survey of surfaces on the International Space Station (ISS), dozens of different bacterial and fungi species were found. These microbial could induce a serious threat to astronauts’ health as well as the structural integrity of spacecraft. In order to overcome the issue, European Space Agency (ESA) is developing innovative coatings composed of titanium oxide to combat the microbial contamination.

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Dangers Caused by Microbial Contamination

Reportedly dozens of microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria, were discovered within the orbital outpost. Staphylococcus aureus, a harmful pathogen that is known to cause skin and respiratory infections, is one of those microbial found by the surfaces survey conducted on the ISS. With that discovery, microbial contamination could grow to be a bigger problem for astronauts’ health. As said by Malgorzata Holynska, an ESA material engineer, microbial populations of long-duration space missions will need to be controlled, in concern of astronauts’ immune systems suppressed by microgravity.?

Not only for the astronauts, microbial contamination also potentially brings harm to the spacecraft itself. Those microbials also produce biofilm, a thin layer of microorganisms, which can taint and deplete metal, glass, even rubber, and plastic. The issue became a severe concern since it has been revealed that microbial colonies were observed growing on spacesuits, cables insulation, and the seals of windows of the Mir space station.

Titanium Oxide as Coatings Material

Titanium oxide, also known as “Titania”, is compound commonly used in coatings to provide opacity, brightness, and covering power. Inspired by the utilization of titanium oxide as antimicrobial coatings in hospitals, ESA engineers collaborate with Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), attempt to come up with a method to modify the compound and coerce it into suitable antimicrobial coatings for the ISS.

Titanium oxide became the choice for its ability as a self-cleaning material, when it is exposed to ultraviolet light. Titanium oxide works to break down water vapor in the air into “free oxygen radicals” after ultraviolet exposure. Then it will eradicate bacterial membranes. Those radicals generate oxidative stress which triggered the inactivation of bacteria. Quoted from Mirko Parto of IIT, there is no way that titanium oxide antimicrobial ability will increase bacterial resistance in the same way as some antibacterial materials, since all microorganisms are affected without exception.?

As reported by ESA, IIT has achieved satisfying results. The coatings made of titanium oxide was successfully tested on glass, silicon wafer, aluminum foil, and clean-room paper tissue. The testing was also done using several methods including physical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition.

The innovative discovery of titanium oxide as antimicrobial coatings has added another value to the material, thus making it a more attractive commodity in the coatings industry. As a trusted titanium oxide distributor, Tradeasia International is here to serve our customers, a variety of raw materials suitable for any industry, including coating, paint, paper, and many more. To give customers a satisfying supply chain experience, Tradeasia International also provides optimized logistic services, especially ocean freight for containerized shipments supported by Sree Logistics.?

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References:

European Space Agency. (2022, September 5). Self-cleaning spacecraft surfaces to combat microbes. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-self-cleaning-spacecraft-surfaces-combat-microbes.html

Paint Square. (2022, September 5). New Protective Coating Heading to ISS for Study. Retrieved from https://www.paintsquare.com/news/view/index.cfm?25472 ??