Title: Cementitious Material Extraction from Lunar Resources

Author(s): Shinji Matsumoto, Tetsuji yoshida, and Kenji Takagi

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 125

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 29-40

Keywords: breaking; cements; extraction; lunar dust; lunar rock; solar energy; solar radiation; thermal gradient; thermal stresses; General

DOI: 10.14359/3698

Date: 5/1/1991

Abstract:
Lunar base concepts utilizing concrete as structural material have been proposed recently. These are based on the consideration that oxygen and raw materials used in manufacturing cement will be extracted from lunar resources and that the soils and rocks will be used as aggregates of concrete. The moon has an abundance of raw material used in manufacturing cement within its rocky soil, thus requiring rocks to be crushed. The paper discusses a unique rock-breaking system using plentiful solar energy available on the moon: that is, sudden heating of a rock surface induces high thermal stress within the rock, which results in the rock breaking. Appropriate heat flow and radiating time are calculated using the physical property of basalt, which has a similar chemical composition to lunar rock. Additionally, required system volume is estimated.