Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

Void · 2012-04-15 10:05:16

I made the subject name start similar to "Mars Colony Cement and Concrete". In fact I was considering putting this there and you can certainly move it if you want.

In this case I am hoping that forms would allow natural materials such as dune material to be "Vacuum welded/Sintered" into blocks by the material being exposed to a higher vacuum than is natural on the surface of Mars, and also with the application of heat.

Here are some links for reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_cementing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering

This would involve molds, a vacuum, and a heat source, and perhaps a Hydrolic Ram.

The mold itself could be evacuated, or I think more probabbly a building would be constructed where the pressure is evacuated, a large vacuum bell. This should be more practicle to do on Mars as it is now, than it is to do on the Earth (~6MB vs ~1000MB+).

I presume that people in counterpressure suits could work inside of that chamber, as easily as out on the surface of Mars.

Obviously I am attracted to the dunes because there may be a general similarity of the particles in a dune, and these might be cemented with ice, but otherwise it should be possible to shovel the stuff up.

This then would be a "Ceramic" material.

However, there has been a discussion of collecting magnetic iron from the surface of Mars. I wonder if that could be cleaned could it also be sintered? Not likely to be a high grade metal material, but maybe as good as Cast Iron? In such a sintering process, could fibers of a material with a equal or higher melt point be imbedded, to provide greater strength? Sintering occurs at a temperature below the melting point of the materials.

Another thought is could the magnetic iron collected be ground down in a "Balling Drum" to a powder, and that poweder also be used to print 3D objects inside of the vacuum bell, using Vacuum Welding/Sintering? If structured and with fiber additives, perhaps something quite strong could result, without the standard steel making process. I used to work in a place with "Balling Drums" used to grind Taconite Ore. It was a wet process.

Last edited by Void (2012-04-15 10:19:26)

louis · 2012-04-15 13:27:44

Void wrote:

I made the subject name start similar to "Mars Colony Cement and Concrete". In fact I was considering putting this there and you can certainly move it if you want.
In this case I am hoping that forms would allow natural materials such as dune material to be "Vacuum welded/Sintered" into blocks by the material being exposed to a higher vacuum than is natural on the surface of Mars, and also with the application of heat.
Here are some links for reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_cementing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering
This would involve molds, a vacuum, and a heat source, and perhaps a Hydrolic Ram.
The mold itself could be evacuated, or I think more probabbly a building would be constructed where the pressure is evacuated, a large vacuum bell. This should be more practicle to do on Mars as it is now, than it is to do on the Earth (~6MB vs ~1000MB+).
I presume that people in counterpressure suits could work inside of that chamber, as easily as out on the surface of Mars.
Obviously I am attracted to the dunes because there may be a general similarity of the particles in a dune, and these might be cemented with ice, but otherwise it should be possible to shovel the stuff up.
This then would be a "Ceramic" material.
However, there has been a discussion of collecting magnetic iron from the surface of Mars. I wonder if that could be cleaned could it also be sintered? Not likely to be a high grade metal material, but maybe as good as Cast Iron? In such a sintering process, could fibers of a material with a equal or higher melt point be imbedded, to provide greater strength? Sintering occurs at a temperature below the melting point of the materials.
Another thought is could the magnetic iron collected be ground down in a "Balling Drum" to a powder, and that poweder also be used to print 3D objects inside of the vacuum bell, using Vacuum Welding/Sintering? If structured and with fiber additives, perhaps something quite strong could result, without the standard steel making process. I used to work in a place with "Balling Drums" used to grind Taconite Ore. It was a wet process.

I've certainly researched the use of basalt before now. Basalt rock seems a good candidate for sintering via concentrated solar radiation. You can use it to form useful vessels of various types, perhaps ceiling and floor tiles...and might be nicely decorative as well.

SpaceNut · 2012-04-15 21:27:27

No need to quote the previous posting

We have talked about this all before....

It comes back to the payload mass to make what you will work, energy required to process and the right timing of need for its practicle useage since we are talking colony building construction materials to allow for expansion and permanence of settlement.

Void · 2012-04-16 15:46:23

In this case we are not talking about payload but a process, and a set of processes. Granted, fairly heavy machinery is required, but you have prompted me to think about it some more.

If you have to have an air lock which cycles between Martian ambient, and the habitation values, then that airlock can double as an vacuum chamber for processes that are favored by vacuum. At least until a dedicated chamber can be built out of local materials.

As for a heat source, if that is a show stopper, then there is no point of going to Mars with the intention of doing industrial activities.

Because of your post, I was very concerned that I was being needlessly redundant. However, I searched for "Vacuum", "Welding", "Sintering", and "Basalt".

Vacuum; Many hits naturally in a site dedicated to space.
But in particular;
"Iron and Steel on Mars" (GWJohnson, dealing with molten steel I think).
"This thread"

Welding; Four hits, only two for this section "Life support systems".
"Iron and Steel on Mars". (I havn't found the reference yet)
"This thread"
(This seems to indicate that the people here don't have much to do with industrial or construction activities).

Sintering; Two refereces.
"3D Printers"
"This Thread"

Basalt; Many references.
-"Iron and Steel on Mars" (I believe this refers to iron in basalt)
-"This thread".

Anyway my intentions are to learn and also to add if I can. I am quite interested in solar sinter of basalt. I am guessing you would want an Anealing oven to put the product into.

I beleive I saw it on TV once a long time ago were it was a demonstration of making a brick from simulated lunar materials. The brick did not look like much, but it was an accomplishment anyway.

I suppose a direct solar process could be resorted to at first, but as I said a air lock could also be a vacuum chamber.

I am also interested in how mineral wool and tar could be used to join such tiles/bricks together into larger blocks. These might also be used for foundations in place of cement. This is related to another thread about concrete, Cement, and Icecrete.

I am also interested if fibers of some kind could be embeded in a sinter. For instance could you plate a layer of metal over a mineral wool fiber, and then put those fibers into the basalt sinter, and so strengthen it?

And yes I have borrowed good ideas from other people such as the 3D printers. I am genuinely interested to know if Meteroite metal could be ground to a fine powder and that printed to make structural members, and tools. I can see where by alternating types of metals and alloys, unusual properties could be arrived at.

Really no disrespect intended, but I am interested in these conversations and the parallel conversations for Iron and Concrete. I want to contribute not compete.

I actually worked in a Hemitite processing facility, I worked in the pilot facility where Taconite tachonology was pioneered (Don't get me wrong, I was a Labor/Operator then, but I saw the equipment and operated it. The Crusher for instance. The Magnetic separation. The Agglomeration and so on. I am not much on the actual furnaces, we only made ceramic pellets. However that Hemitite plant did have a sinter experiment. I missed it, but I did have conversation about it.

Finally I worked at a Taconite Facility where I was involved with shoveling dirt, hosing dirt down drains, working in a electic motor shop and also was trained as an electrician, became an electronic repairman, and also was involved in process control, and worked on blue prints. Since then I have acquired many other skills at my new job.

I am just saying I am not eager to be dismissed lightly in these matters. I have actually been there.

Now as far as sintering Meteor particles which are largely metalic, I wonder if between bouts of vacuum, Hydrogen gas could be injected to be a getter for Oxygen clinging to the surface, and also to reduce Iron Oxde.

I also wonder if mineral wool fibers first coated with a layer of metal could be included to add some strength, similar to fiberglass. I guess it would be no good if the mineral wool melted, but perhaps the Vacuum Weld/Sinter temperatures could be lower than that.

Baring that then wires of some strong metal instead of the mineral wool.

Last edited by Void (2012-04-16 16:34:14)

SpaceNut · 2012-04-16 20:04:56

I remember that Nasa or some other scientist had worked on sintering the lunar dust into bricks so did a quick search and here are the links...
SINTERING BRICKS ON THE MOON
http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/HumanExplore/E … IC049.HTML

Microwave Sintering of Lunar Soil: Properties, Theory, and Practice
http://www.isruinfo.com/docs/microwave_ … r_soil.pdf

Sintering of Lunar and Asteroidal Minerals
http://www.permanent.com/i-sinter.htm

These should be of use....

Void · 2012-04-17 14:51:00

That was very generous and useful SpaceNut.

I have gone through a fair part of it and plan to look it all over.

I see that basalt sinter by itself has limited strength, so that is a bit dissapointing, but perhaps something will eventually be figured out to upgrade the product.

I am still curious about sintering magnetic Meteor Iron, and am wondering if putting a wire mesh into the formed item would help it have useful strength.

I am curious about the printing of metal powder, and wonder if that could be done like a microscopic steel making process, for instance adding carbon as was suggested in one of the other threads. Not sure about excluding enough slag though, I wonder how much silica a Nickle/Iron meteor has in it? I would think that a sinter of that material should at least be suitable to be a Permenant Magnet, or the core of a Solenoid, or perhaps bearing housings.

Thanks again.

SpaceNut · 2015-11-28 21:35:39

I think this is the best topic to place the brick information that we are talking about in materials , water lakes and a few others that would like to use it to form a Roman style arch.

http://www.gobrick.com/portals/25/docs/ … es/tn9.pdf

http://www.marspapers.org/papers/MAR98064.pdf

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marsco … f/4368.pdf

Void · 2015-11-30 20:08:30

Here we go, NASA, biological glued bricks from human waste. (Hopefully not me).

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technol … -mars.html

NASA Is Engineering Microbes to Make Bricks on Mars

I also recently posted a very interesting heritage article which indicated that bricks can be baked from the Ubiquitous Martian dust. As I recall, a low temperature makes a brick which could be useful. A higher temperature makes a higher quality brick.

Last edited by Void (2015-11-30 20:09:12)

SpaceNut · 2016-03-27 08:50:51

Just another topic on making insitu resource turn in to Mars habitats of the future...

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#1 2012-04-15 10:05:16

Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#2 2012-04-15 13:27:44

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#3 2012-04-15 21:27:27

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#4 2012-04-16 15:46:23

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#5 2012-04-16 20:04:56

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#6 2012-04-17 14:51:00

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#7 2015-11-28 21:35:39

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#8 2015-11-30 20:08:30

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

#9 2016-03-27 08:50:51

Re: Mars Colony "Vacuum welding, Sintering".

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