Recent groundbreaking research has shown that astronauts can use their urine to build a base on the moon.
The next destination of humanity, in the case of overcoming earthly problems, is the Moon. At the very least, NASA plans to land astronauts there in 2024. The main task will be to build a base on the moon suitable for life and conduct experiments.
One of the main stumbling blocks in building a base on the moon is obtaining materials. However, new research has shown that extracting urea from urine can plasticize the concrete used to build structures on the moon, making them less brittle and more flexible.
Using this fluid with materials already on the Moon would solve the logistical problem of transporting all building materials from Earth to our lunar satellite. Here is what material scientist Ramon Pamis from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in Spain said:
'To make geopolymer concrete that will be used on the Moon, it is necessary to use what is on the Moon: regolith (bulk material from the surface of the Moon) and water from ice, which is present in some areas. Through our research, we have come to the conclusion that waste such as staff urine could well be used to create the required material. '
“The two main components of this body fluid are water and urea, a molecule that breaks hydrogen bonds and therefore lowers the viscosity of many aqueous mixtures.”
The structures on the Moon must be extremely resilient to withstand the radical changes that the Moon suffers. Temperatures fluctuate a lot, ranging from 120 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day to -130C (-208F) at night. In addition, the Moon also has no atmosphere, which means that everything on the surface is bombarded by radiation from the Sun. The lack of an atmosphere also means that nothing helps burn objects like meteors bombarding a lunar satellite.
That's why researchers are testing the properties of urea by building structures, using them for strength testing. Using a 3D printer, the researchers made cylinders built using properties from urea. One cylinder was made from urea, also containing polycarboxylate-based superplasticizers, and the other using naphthalene-based superplasticizers.
The researchers found that the naphthalene-based superplasticizer worked better because it was flexible but tough, while the polycarboxylate was too stiff and stress cracks were produced in strength tests.
In addition, urea may not even need to be removed from urine as the liquid can be used as a mixture. An expert in this area turned out to be an analyst based on materials Anna-Lena Köixen from University College Ostfold (Norway):
“We have not yet investigated how urea will be extracted from urine, as we estimate that there is no need to do so. In order to obtain geopolymer concrete, it is enough to use the urine itself. In fact, water from urine can be used for a mixture, along with that which can be obtained on the moon, or for a combination of both. '
