Additive Manufacturing of Sulfur Concrete for Mars Habitats

• Assemble and modify a large-format gantry 3D printer based on Marlin firmware.

• Design and fabricate a custom auger-based concrete pump with air compressor integration.

• Test various print setups to address flow restrictions, including air-tightness, tube bends, and system pressurization.

• Document and iterate on weekly concrete mixture trials, refining parameters including cement-to-water ratio, superplasticizer dosage, and use of non-shrink grout.

• Implement a mechanical lowering system using synchronized car jacks controlled by stepper motors to address the fixed height of the extruder.

• Explore and compare practices from existing academic concrete printing systems to improve print quality and material performance.

• Fully assembled and operational concrete 3D printer with custom auger pump system.

• Repeated successful test prints reaching five or more consistent layers.

• Functional mechanical Z-lowering system to simulate nozzle elevation.

• Documented weekly concrete mix ratios and corresponding print results.

• Evaluated mixture behaviors for varied water and 2040 RM superplasticizer levels.

• Identified that rotor stator pumps used in industry may offer better pressure delivery, though currently cost-prohibitive.

• Initial training video documentation of the concrete mixing and printing process.

• Preparation for sulfur-based printing by exploring heated pumping systems and replacement of components for high-temperature durability.

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This work is supported by the NASA-funded ARCS program. Special thanks to Dr. C. Shawn Sun for his ongoing guidance, and the CSUN Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management for their resources and mentorship.