Abstract:
Understanding the Chang’E-5 lunar soil sampling is of significance for advancing humans’ ability to better understand the moon. To meet the demand for a large amount of lunar soil in 3D printing geopolymer experiments for lunar base in-situ construction, TJC-1 lunar regolith simulant was developed based on the chemical composition, phase composition, and particle size distributions of Chang’E-5 real lunar soil. It is found that the distributions of the raw basalt that meet low silica and alumina contents are limited in China. The basalt raw material was selected and grounded to prepare TJC-1. The characteristic results show that the contents of SiO
2 and Al
2O
3 in TJC-1 lunar regolith simulant are 41.10% and 12.02%, respectively. The main phases are augite, anorthite, and forsterite. The medium particle size is 40.09 μm, and the sharp edge of particles can be found through micromorphology, which is similar to that of Chang’E-5 lunar soil. It is indicated that the prepared TJC-1 lunar regolith simulant shows similarity to Chang’E-5 lunar soil, which may be applied to 3D printing of geopolymer for the intelligent construction of lunar base.