There is a significant interest in lunar and Mars regolith as a source for construction materials, sintering being one proposed method to convert it from loose unconsolidated rock material into durable solid forms. Hawaii’s basalt has chemical properties like those of lunar and Martian regolith. The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) has developed sintered materials under four different thermal profiles (1,120, 1,135, 1,150 and 1,180 °C) using Hawaiian basalt and Hawaiian basalt scoria. The structural properties of some of these materials exceed the strength of both residential and specialty concrete, showing promise for sintered materials for in-situ resource utilizationIn-situ resource utilization ISRUapplication. PISCESPISCES has researched and characterized basalt samples from multiple locations on Hawai’i Island and has shown that chemical composition and mineral abundances significantly impact the durability and outcome of a sintered basalt material. Identifying desirable basalt characteristics for sintering will aid in the search for locations and sources of optimal basalt regolith for sintering on the Moon and Mars. New sintering technologies in particular may also want to be considered, moving forward, to optimize the feasibility of sintering in space.
The Effects of Mineral Variations on the Basalt Sintering Process and Implications for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)
Handbook of Space Resources ; Kapitel : 13 ; 463-489
28.04.2023
27 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Development Program
NTRS | 1998
|In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Overview 2023
NTIS | 2023
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