Development of Regolith-Resin-Composite (RRC) Material for Lunar Construction

Abstract

The feasible construction of lunar habitats will be strongly dependent upon the effective utilisation of resources locally available on the Moon. The Moon's surface material, otherwise known as regolith, is an obvious resource. There will, however, be the need to transport materials from Earth to be added to the regolith in order to make viable construction material. It is noted that material transported from Earth must be kept to a minimum. This paper reports the development of a potential lunar construction material that utilises regolith simulant in combination with epoxy resin (henceforth resin). The material is referred to as regolith-resin-composite (RRC), and the results of an experimental investigation are reported herein. Specific variables of the study include (i) minimum amount of resin required to achieve sufficient mixing and binding with the regolith and (ii) mechanical and analytical properties of a range of resin to regolith mix combinations. Mechanical tests consist of compressive, flexural, and tensile strength, while analytical tests comprise morphology, microstructure, and thermogravimetric analysis. It is shown that 15% by mass of resin produces a minimum viable material (based on the mix combinations considered in the study), while 20% resin content by mass produces the greatest mechanical strengths, such as 98 MPa compressive strength. The results presented in this study demonstrate that RRC has the potential to become a viable lunar construction material.