§ 4.3.5 Fiberglass and Fiber Composites
Goldsworthy provides an excellent analysis of the applications, technical needs and economics of making structural products from fiber composites using lunar materials -- glass-glass composites with both matrix and fibers derived from lunar soils.
Ho and Sobon proposed a 120 ton factory to produce 590 grams of fiberglass from each 1000 grams of lunar soil. The factory would produce about 50 times its own mass (i.e., about 6000 tons) in fiberglass each year. It uses only solar energy for soil processing and melting. In orbit rather than on the lunar surface, the factory would have even more solar energy and production capability, and could produce fiberglass from both lunar and asteroidal material.
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