On Earth sulfur "concrete" is an established construction material that has good mechanical properties, generally better than Portland cement, and can be used in corrosive environments. Troilite (FeS) has been found on the moon and raises the question of using extracted sulfur as a lunar construction material, an attractive alternative to conventional concrete as it does not require water. Troilite reduction to elemental sulfur and using it to make concrete in a lunar setting has been previously discussed. However, little has been experimentally done to evaluate its performance in the extreme lunar environment. This study subjected sets of sulfur concrete samples, prepared using JSC-1 lunar simulant, to I ) extended periods of high vacuum and 2) extreme temperature cycles. Here an overview of sulfur concrete and experimentally assessed properties, put in context of the lunar environment, is presented and discussed.
Material Concerns: Evaluating Sulfur Concrete for use in the Lunar Environment
2006 National Space and Missile Materials Symposium ; 2006 ; Orlando, FL, United States
2006-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Sulfur “concrete” for lunar applications – Sublimation concerns
Online Contents | 2008
|Sulfur “concrete” for lunar applications – Sublimation concerns
Elsevier | 2007
|Process engineering concerns in the lunar environment
AIAA | 1990
|Production of Lunar Concrete Using Molten Sulfur
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
|