原文：http://shenzhen.chinacompositesexpo.com/en/news-detail-92-15199.htmlRecently, Xinjiang Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology (hereinafter referred to as the "Xinjiang Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology"), a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, released a research achievement: they used basalt collected on earth as a major source to simulate Martian soil, and further make it into continuous fibers through melting & pultrusion spinning technology, marking a possibility in the future for humans to localize the production of building materials for the construction of Martian Base. The research paper was published in the international journal "Interdisciplinary Science".

“Imagine that in the future, high-strength fibers made from Martian soil, combined with soil matrix from Mars, will be made into composite materials, and be further processed with advanced technology like 3D printing into building modules for the construction of human domicile on Mars, "said Ma Pengcheng, a doctoral supervisor at the University of Science and Technology of China and a researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Physics and Chemistry.


Theoretical research comes first

Mars is somewhere 55 million kilometers (to the closest) and 400 million kilometers (to the farthest) away from Earth. Even beyond reach, human being’s aspiration and exploration for immigration to Mars never stopped. With the rapid advancement of space technology over the years, landing on Mars seems more within reach, and how we can setup a residence base on Mars has become a hotspot home and abroad.

Guo Zeshi, a doctor on Materials Physics and Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China, said that due to the high cost of space transportation, it is almost impossible to transport building materials from Earth to Mars. Therefore, in the future, the construction of a Mars base must rely on local materials. In this regard, there have been some studies across the world. For example, some studies suggest that Martian soil can be used to make various building materials such as bricks or concrete. However, humans have not yet obtained Martian soil, so most research can only stay at the theoretical level.

Since 2019, the research team at Xinjiang Institute of Physics and Chemistry has focused on the field of deep space. Through cooperation with the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and other entity, driven by the demand for high-performance reinforcement, the team has explored the feasibility of using Martian soil to prepare continuous fibers and use them in the construction of the Mars base.

“Although humans have not yet obtained physical samples of Martian soil, the widespread presence of basalt on Earth is very similar in chemical composition and mineral composition to Martian soil, "said Ma Pengcheng. If basalt can change into fibers through melting and pultrusion spinning technology, then Martian soil with similar composition should also be very likely to copy the process.


Technical support provided

Basalt is a kind of rock that is solidified after the magma from volcanoes is cooled on the surface. It has dense or foam-like structure and is widely existed in China. For a long time, basalt has been commonly used as paving stones due to its hardness and corrosion resistance.

“Don't be fooled by it being black and hard. Once made into fibers, its value can be doubled. "Ma Pengcheng introduced that basalt fiber is a filamentous material made from natural basalt ore following crushing, melting, pultrusion spinning and coating. It is one of the four high-performance fibers that China targets.

For decades, Ma Pengcheng has led a research team in continuous efforts to optimize a geographical distribution data platform of basalt, the basalt melt-spinning technology, as well as the sizing formulation, providing solid theoretical and technical support for the study of Martian soil fibers.

Normally, most basalt will be melted into liquid after crushed into powder and heated at a high temperature of 1450℃, and then cooled in the spinning process to eventually made into fibers. Researchers conducted thermal property analysis on simulated Martian soil produced from basalt, and simulated the theoretical melting temperature through AI technology. The experimental results show that simulated Martian soil can completely melt at 1360℃. Then, driven by gravity, it is drawn through a platinum rhodium alloy leak plate, and then spun at high speed by a machine to form continuous fibers.

By adopting such method, researchers obtained continuous simulated Martian soil fibers at different speeds. After further analysis, researchers found that simulated Martian soil fibers prepared at lower rates have denser atomic structures and better mechanical properties, making them more resistant to external damage. As the spinning speed increases, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the fibers decreases.

Guo Zeshi introduced that the team members also theoretically analyzed the influence of low gravity, special atmosphere and other environmental conditions on the process and fiber’s performance on Mars.

Huge potential for application

The diameter of a single simulated Martian soil fiber is only one-third of a human hair, but its strength is twice that of steel fibers of the same diameter, and it has characteristics such as corrosion resistance and extreme temperature resistance. This means that Martian soil fibers can become an ideal building material for Mars base.

“Obviously, fibers cannot be used as building materials by themselves. They must be organically integrated with concrete or other matrices in the same way as steel rebar structure. "Ma Pengcheng explained that after combining multiple Martian soil fibers into one strand, and immersed in a sizing tank, it could be then make into an ideal building material which can be further 3D-printed into building components with diversified shapes.

Guo Zeshi said that even the matrix can be locally produced. Following the addition of additives or the imposition of high pressure, Loose Martian soil can be transformed into relatively stable solid status. Though relatively low in strength when used alone, it could be transformed into high-strength reinforcement after joining with Mars soil fibers.

It is reported that under China's Tianwen-3 plan, China plans to conduct two rocketing-launching missions sometime in 2028, to collect samples to earth from Mars. “Our goal is the deep space. For our team, the success to similate Mars soil fiber is exciting, and demonstrating to us the vast prospects of Martian soil. ” Ma Pengcheng said that the environmental conditions including gravity and atmosphere composition on Mars are very different from those on Earth, which requires researchers to innovate production processes and equipment.

It will take time to build houses on Mars, but the scientific achievements arising out have expanded the potential for the application of basalt fiber. For example, by combining basalt fibers with polymer matrices and using specific processes, fiber-reinforced composite materials with high strength can be used to manufacture the shells of tanks, ships, and aircraft.

Xing Dan, deputy researcher at Xinjiang Institute of Physics and Chemistry, introduced that basalt fiber itself is a non-conductive fiber and has long been regarded as an insulating material. However, the research team utilized the metal elements contained in basalt fibers to achieve controllable growth of carbon nanomaterials on surface, successfully obtaining conductive fiber materials, increasing the functional value of basalt fibers, and expanding the application prospects of materials in electromagnetic shielding and other fields.

In addition, basalt fiber still has the potential to make significant contributions in the field of gas purification. The research team has successfully developed an environmentally friendly and efficient PM0.3 air filtration material by combining basalt fibers with nanocellulose fibers. Its PM0.3 initial filtration efficiency exceeds 99.99%, and its comprehensive filtration capacity is superior to some commercially available high-efficiency air filtration materials. The filter material has excellent mechanical strength, high temperature resistance, and fire resistance. After being treated at 180℃, the filtration efficiency for PM0.3 can still be maintained at over 92%.


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