Development of a Novel Material and Casting-Method for In-Situ Construction on Mars (2021-05)¶

Using Martian resource to construct a site on Mars is a superior choice to instead of transporting all the construction materials from Earth to the Mas with incredibly high cost. This study proposes a developed Martian concrete composed of sulfur and magnetite, heated by microwave to meet the energy-poor environment on Mars. A lattice Boltzmann model is developed to determine the optimal microwave power and heating time for Martian concrete casting. The compressive strength and microstructure of Martian concrete casted by microwave are measured by test. Finally, a 3D printed device is conceived to prepare Martian concrete and the four-layered specimen is casted to simulate the 3D print process. The results indicate that the compressive strength of Martian concrete casted by microwave can reach 1.78 kgf/mm2 (17.44 MPa) on earth, which is corresponding to 4.62 kgf/mm2 on Mars. Since the heating rate of magnetite under microwave is very high, if possible, the low microwave power and long heating time should be chosen to reduce the temperature gradient in matrix and reduce the possibility of sulfur matrix boiling. In addition, the strength of four-layered (simulated 3D printed) Martian concrete can reach 1.21 kgf/mm2 (11.86 MPa) on earth, which is corresponding to 3.15 kgf/mm2 on Mars.