The Influence Of Variable Gravity On The Microstructural Development Of Tricalcium Silicate Pastes

Building infrastructure outside the known environment on Earth poses challenges that must be dealt with in order to safely protect the habitants and equipment. One of the issues that must be dealt with on the Moon and Mars, for example, is the influence of reduced gravity. For the first time, work is presented that helps understand the influence of reduced gravity on the hydration of a tricalcium silicate (C3S) paste, an important component of cement. The C3S samples were mixed in the microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS) and placed within a centrifuge to simulate the gravity of the Moon, Mars, and a statistical point at 70% of Earth's gravity. In addition to the simulated gravity samples, identical samples were mixed in the microgravity environment on the ISS, as well as a control sample on Earth. Microstructural analysis shows that an increase in gravity level results in less trapped air, as well as smaller pore size distributions.