Destructive and non-destructive testing of potential lunar polymer concrete for future lunar habitable infrastructure

Abstract

The data gathered from the Apollo missions has provided humanity with incredible amounts of new insight into the lunar environmental conditions that were unknown prior to the on-site exploration. Even with the extensive amounts of data obtained from those missions, there still exists a significant knowledge gap that requires additional instrumentation to be sent to the lunar surface. The knowledge gap is also associated with the future construction material to be used for the lunar infrastructure. Even though numerous research studies are recommending a variety of lunar habitat designs, not a lot of attention was given to the material properties to be used for the construction. Nine categories of potential materials for lunar infrastructure were identified in this research, with polymer concrete presenting the most feasible approach for the initial infrastructure. Destructive and non-destructive tests were done on different percentages of binder material to obtain the initial material properties that include compressive strength, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus of elasticity for compression and tension. The destructive testing included compressive testing of cubes and tensile testing of dog bones. The non-destructive testing used the cross-correlation method to estimate the longitudinal and shear travel time, and together with ultrasonic tests, Young’s modulus was estimated for both compressive and tensile stresses. The 18% content of the binder material has shown the most promising results, having the highest compressive strength. The 24% content of the binder material has shown the highest tensile strength but indicated brittle behavior that would not be convenient for the lunar infrastructure. Additionally, non-destructive test results have shown an excellent correlation with the destructive test results, indicating feasibility for future material quality inspection and evaluation.