Cement samples from the University of Delaware spent six months mounted outside the International Space Station, where the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit tested their limits. University of Delaware researchers found that geopolymers, designed as sustainable, cement-like alternatives, gained strength after exposure to harsh conditions outside the International Space Station.
"Regolith is essentially a clay-like silicate material," said Norman Wagner, Unidel Robert L. Pigford Chair in chemical engineering. "It is one of the most abundant materials on both Earth and the moon, which makes it interesting for construction."
Wagner's laboratory develops geopolymers, a cement alternative that binds clays into a strong solid through chemical reactions rather than high-temperature manufacturing. The goal is to use regolith with minimal additives to produce construction materials without energy-intensive processing. The approach could contribute to more sustainable Earth-based construction, too.
These findings, published in Advances in Space Research, support the potential fr using lunar regolith for in-situ infrastructure construction. Complementary studies published in Acta Astronautica and the Journal of Rheology further developed AI models for material prediction and defined crucial processing parameters for on-site manufacturing.
