Processing of Lunar Materials
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 7, Issue 3
Abstract
A variety of products made from lunar resources will be required for a lunar outpost. These products might be made by adapting existing processing techniques to the lunar environment, or by developing new techniques unique to the moon. In either case, processing techniques used on the moon will have to have a firm basis in basic principles of materials science and engineering, which can be used to understand the relationships between composition, processing, and properties of lunar‐derived materials. These principles can also be used to optimize the properties of a product, once a more detailed knowledge of the lunar regolith is obtained. Using three types of ceramics (monolithic glasses, glass fibers, and glass‐ceramics) produced from lunar simulants, we show that the application of materials science and engineering principles is useful in understanding and optimizing the mechanical properties of ceramics on the moon. We also demonstrate that changes in composition and/or processing can have a significant effect on the strength of these materials.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 7 • Issue 3 • July 1994
Pages: 263 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 19, 1992
Published online: Jul 1, 1994
Published in print: Jul 1994
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