Scientists at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology (KICT) have developed a method of creating bricks from lunar regolith using microwave sintering. The study was published in the journal Construction and Building Materials.

Microwave sintering allows lunar regolith to harden below its melting point, making it a promising method for building a habitable lunar base. The method resembles ceramic firing and involves raising the temperature of raw materials to create solid building materials.

Researchers tested sintering methods to create bricks made from simulated lunar regolith, which has a strength of more than 20 millipascals, comparable to concrete. Since microwave heating depends on the dielectric properties of the material, the corresponding characteristics of Korean lunar simulite (KLS-1) and ilmenite (iron titanate) at different temperatures were studied.

It turned out that the lunar regolith simulant is transparent in the microwave range, which makes it difficult to heat. However, ilmenite, due to its unique crystal structure, interacts effectively with microwaves, allowing high temperatures to be reached quickly.

Thus, using ilmenite as a heating element in the construction of a lunar base using microwave sintering will enable efficient and rapid production of building materials. This mineral is widespread in the lunar soil and can be mined on the Earth’s natural satellite.