Evaluation of Bosch Process–Sourced Carbon in Low-Carbon Steel and Gray Iron Casting for Martian Surface Manufacturing

Stewart, B. C., Doude, H., Taylor, T. L., Abney, M. B., & Rhee, H. (2021). Evaluation of Bosch Process–Sourced Carbon in Low-Carbon Steel and Gray Iron Casting for Martian Surface Manufacturing. Journal of Aerospace Engineering. 35(2), 12. DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0001394.

Abstract

As research continues for the first crewed missions to and the eventual colonization of Mars, the need for materials for construction of structural and mechanical components remains paramount. The use of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques is critical due to the financial and physical burdens of sending supplies beyond low-Earth orbit. The Bosch process is currently in development as a life-support system at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to regenerate oxygen ( O2 ) from metabolic carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) with the by-product of elemental carbon (C). In this study, the use of this novel C source for alloying with iron (Fe) to produce ferrous alloys was studied to determine if the Bosch-sourced C could provide similar metallurgical results to a traditional C source. The Bosch C was produced by MSFC through their C-formation reactor (C-Fr) using mill scale ( Fe3C ) as the reaction catalyst. Two types of ferrous alloys were manufactured using the Bosch-sourced C and a control source C. Mechanical and microstructural properties obtained from each equivalent grade revealed comparable metallurgical results.