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DEVELOPMENT OF METAL CASTING MOLDS BY SOL-GEL TECHNOLOGY USING PLANETARYRESOURCES.
L. Sibille
1
, S. Sen
2
, P. Curreri
3
and D. Stefanescu
4
,
1
University Space Research Association, NASAMarshall Space Flight Center SD48, Huntsville, AL 35802,
Laurent.sibille@msfc.nasa.gov
,
2
University Space ResearchAssociation, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center SD47, Huntsville, AL 35802,
Subhayu.sen@msfc.nasa.gov
,
3
NASAMarshall Space Flight Center SD47, Huntsville, AL 35802,
4
University of Alabama, , Tuscaloosa, AL 35802
Introduction:
Metals extracted from planetarysoils will eventually need to be casted and shaped in-situ to produce useful products. In response to thischallenge, we propose to develop and demonstrate themanufacturing of a specific product using Lunar andMartian soil simulants, i.e. a mold for the casting of metal and alloy parts, which will be an indispensabletool for the survival of outposts on the Moon and Mars.Drawing from our combined knowledge of sol-gel andmetal casting technologies, we set out to demonstratethe extraordinary potential of mesoporous materialssuch as aerogels to serve as efficient casting molds aswell as fulfilling numerous other needs of an autono-mous planetary outpost.
Aerogels as Multi-Use Materials:
Traditionallymade from inorganic metal oxides or from the reactionof organic molecules, mesoporous materials such asaerogels share a common structure made of nanometer-size beads linked together in a low-density 3D network with a porosity of about 90%. They offer a remarkablecombination of properties which are rarely used to-gether on Earth but make them perfect candidates forwidespread usage on a Martian settlement.
Ultra low thermal conductivity.
Applications: Insulation for habitats, laboratories,hydroponics green houses, liquid tanks, MetallurgicalCasting moldsAerogels are the best performing thermal insula-tors today. Silica aerogels typically provide thermalresistance per inch almost twice that of commonly usedpolyurethane foams. With thermal conductivities of 0.02 W/m.K (~R10/inch), they are nonflammable,nontoxic, lightweight (as low as 0.003 g/cm
3
), trans-parent and stable up to 650C. However, any convec-tive heat transfer is virtually suppressed by the nano-meter scale porous structure thus forcing any heat con-duction through the tenuous solid network or by radia-tive process. For example, organic aerogels havethermal conductivities as low as 0.0045 W/m.K afterthey have been evacuated and can withstand tempera-tures up to 3650
°
C if pyrolyzed.
Selective Radiation Absorption.
Applications: Radiation shielding, UV filtering forhabitats, liquid propellant containmentAerogels can become effective radiation shieldingby proper selection of the elemental composition: Sil-ica aerogels block UV and scatter X-rays while being70% transparent to visible and IR wavelength. Incor-poration of heavy elements by diffusion or doping of the porous solids can provide shielding from Gammarays or solar flares. Moreover, demonstrated phenom-ena such as He densification in aerogel pores can beexploited for liquid propellant confinement and in-creased radiation shielding capability of the material,thus providing an ingenious solution for two majorissues of planetary exploration.
 Impact Energy absorption.
Applications: Micrometeorite shielding, acoustic insu-lationThe internal network of aerogels is capable of ab-sorbing large kinetic energies by successive collapsingof its nanometer-size pores thus slowing down the in-coming projectile. Such property is being used by in-vestigators on NASA’s Stardust mission, which willcollect samples from the tail of comet P/Wild 2 in 2002and return them intact to Earth.
 High Capacitance.
Applications: Electrical Energy StorageThe extremely high surface areas resulting fromthe high porosity of aerogels make it possible to createextensive areas of charged double layers by selectionof the right composition. Their low density and highinternal surface area make it possible to fabricate highcapacity batteries that are also lightweight and lowvolume. Companies like Powerstor are already manu-facturing such products as heavy-duty capacitors. Thesame properties can be used for deionization of recy-clable fluids as part of the life support systems. Theadditions of noble metals by diffusion into the porousnetwork or by chemical incorporation make aerogelsefficient and low volume catalytic materials for use inseparation of components by gas chemistry.The above list of properties and related applicationsshows how such materials could become cornerstonesfor a planetary settlement if a low cost, robust and effi-cient technique can be developed to extract and solubi-lize the silicates and metal oxides necessary to makethem from planetary soils.
Space Resources Roundtable II (2000)
7022.pdf
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