FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR LUNAR CEMENT PRODUCTION

MAN-MADE BASES ON THE MOON WILL REQUIRE STRUCTURES CAPABLE OF RESISTING A DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE OF ONE ATMOSPHERE AS WELL AS SOLAR WIND AND RADIATION. SMALL STRUCTURES MAY BE PREFABRICATED ON EARTH AND TRANSPORTED TO THE MOON. HOWEVER, LARGE STRUCTURES MUST BE CONSTRUCTED USING IN SITU LUNAR MATERIALS. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL FOR SUCH CONSTRUCTION IS CONCRETE MADE FROM LUNAR MATERIALS. CONCRETE IS BASICALLY A MIXTURE OF CEMENT, WATER AND AGGREGATE. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT LUNAR SOILS CAN BE USED AS AGGREGATE, AND THAT OXYGEN TO PRODUCE WATER CAN BE EXTRACTED FROM LUNAR ILMENITE. THE ONLY TERRESTRIAL SUBSTANCE NEEDED FOR MAKING CONCRETE ON THE MOON IS HYDROGEN, OF WHICH ABOUT 5OZ. IS REQUIRED FOR 100LBS. CONCRETE. THIS PROPOSAL OUTLINES POSSIBLE METHODS FOR PRODUCING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS FROM LUNAR ANORTHITE AND OTHER LUNAR MATERIALS SUCH AS GLASSES. USE OF ULTRA HIGH HEAT FLUX SOLAR ENERGY CONCENTRATOR OPTICS RECENTLY DEVELOPED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM TO PROVIDE HEAT ENERGY FOR PYROPROCESSING THE CANDIDATE LUNAR MATERIALS.