PREPARATION OF GEOPOLYMER CEMENT FROM SIMULATED LUNAR ROCK SAND USING ALKALI FUSION

Abstract

In this study, it was tried to convert simulated lunar rock sand into geopolymer cement by alkali fusion with sodium hydroxide. Space development is currently being conducted in various countries. For construction on the moon, it is difficult to bring all the construction materials from the earth, and development of construction materials made from lunar resources is required. The authors have succeeded in making geopolymer cement from crushed stone dust using alkali fusion. Therefore, there is a possibility that geopolymer cement used for construction material can be made from lunar rock sand, abundantly present on the lunar surface, using the same method. In this experiment, simulated lunar rock sand was fused with NaOH by changing the mixing ratio of the sand and sodium hydroxide, heating temperature, heating time in vacuum or air atmosphere, and the reaction in vacuum and air was compared and examined. As a result, it was found that the elution contents of Si and Al in the fused sand into acid solution increased with increasing the temperature, NaOH addition and heating time of alkali fusion, and the fused reaction in vacuum atmosphere is different from that in air atmosphere.