Experiments and Simulation of Heat Storage Materials Using Resin-Coated Regolith

ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization) is an essential technology because it reduces the transportation of materials from Earth. Conventionally, regolith deposited on the lunar surface is a highly insulating material. However, if it can be endowed with heat storage properties, it is expected to provide part of the thermal energy source required for lunar overnight stays. In this study, we considered and evaluated a method of applying a small amount of resin (Polyamide-imide) coating to the regolith simulant and bonding the regolith pieces together to reduce the contact thermal resistance, which is the factor that gives the regolith its insulating properties. Measurements were actually carried out in a vacuum and the improvement in thermal conductivity was confirmed. Furthermore, we considered the mechanism for manufacturing on the lunar surface.