Canister insert for the Skylab Materials Science Furnace, which supported a number of experiments to study various properties of materials in a microgravity environment. The cylindrical unit measures 12.5″ x 7″ x 5″, and features openings for three sample cartridges where materials could be heated and cooled. The blackened body of the insert indicates it was heated to an extreme temperature. A label taped to the side reads: "P/S 10, 2 of 4, 7-0-10-00160, 6640 L66-1218."
The Skylab M518 Electric Furnace was part of the M512 Materials Processing Facility, located in the Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), one of the primary elements of the Skylab space station. This equipment was designed to provide a means for experimentation in solidification, crystal growth, composite structures, alloy structural characteristics, and other thermal processes involving changes in materials under conditions of weightlessness.
