Difference between revisions of "Cast Basalt"
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| − | David Dietzler has an article at moonminer.com that refers to casting basalt bricks on the moon. He refers to digging sand molds and breaking the molds apart when the bricks harden, and grinding the blocks to shape with carbide grinding wheels.<ref>[http://www.moonminer.com/Moon-bricks.html LUNAR BRICK CONCEPTS]</ref> However, since carbide requires scarce carbon it will probably not be used much for grinding on Luna. Bricks can be ground flat and square simply by rubbing the bricks together in pairs with local grit put between them. More complex shapes than rectangular solids will require grinding but these should be produced from local materials. They only need to contain a considerable proportion of grit harder than basalt. | + | David Dietzler has an article at moonminer.com that refers to casting basalt bricks on the moon. He refers to digging sand molds and breaking the molds apart when the bricks harden, and grinding the blocks to shape with carbide grinding wheels.<ref>[http://www.moonminer.com/Moon-bricks.html LUNAR BRICK CONCEPTS]</ref> However, since carbide requires scarce carbon it will probably not be used much for grinding on Luna. Bricks can be ground flat and square simply by rubbing the bricks together in pairs with local grit put between them. More complex shapes than rectangular solids will require grinding wheels but these should be produced from local materials. They only need to contain a considerable proportion of grit harder than basalt. |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 20:02, 16 April 2012
WPE Produces many molded shapes of cast basalt on Earth. They use a special grade of natural basalt that melts near 2372 degrees F (1300 degrees C). This product is advertised to have a density of from 2.8 to 2.9 g/cm3 a hardness of 8 Mohs a compressive strength of 400 to 450 MPa and temperature resistance up to 662 degrees F (350 degrees C).[1]
David Dietzler has an article at moonminer.com that refers to casting basalt bricks on the moon. He refers to digging sand molds and breaking the molds apart when the bricks harden, and grinding the blocks to shape with carbide grinding wheels.[2] However, since carbide requires scarce carbon it will probably not be used much for grinding on Luna. Bricks can be ground flat and square simply by rubbing the bricks together in pairs with local grit put between them. More complex shapes than rectangular solids will require grinding wheels but these should be produced from local materials. They only need to contain a considerable proportion of grit harder than basalt.
