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The Polymer Composite Material provides a method for using comingled plastics in a way that is not greatly impacted by changes in composition. Comingled plastics are used as a combination filler/binder material where low melting plastics are converted into binders with higher melting plastics serving as filler and structural reinforcements. The Polymer Composite Material is made by feeding the source materials into an extruder - a solid polymeric binder at a first feed rate and a solid filler at a second feed rate. The extruder (a) melts the solid polymeric binder, (b) mixes the melted solid polymeric binder with the solid filler, and (c) extrudes an extrudate of the solid polymeric binder and solid filler to form the composite material. The composite material has a binder to filler ratio determined by the first feed rate and second feed rate. The solid filler may be granular glass and the solid polymeric binder may be at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. The material can be created in a range of densities using foaming techniques.

The jointly developed interlocking paver design consists of a molded solid material with tapered interlocking features that interface with features of an opposite gender in three orthogonal directions. This establishes a toleranced connection between the pavers that locks down six degrees of freedom. More specifically, the system consists of two types of pavers: polygon and spacer pavers. Both are symmetrical about the longitudinal and transverse axes and are designed to interlock securely with one another in a checkerboard pattern. The polygon paver features an octagonal top level and a rectangular bottom level with protrusions and recessed notches. The spacer paver has an elongated center portion with isosceles trapezoid extensions on the top level and a rectangular bottom level with protrusions and notches. The interlocking design locks down six degrees of freedom, providing enhanced stability and preventing the flow of exhaust gases between the seams to mitigate erosion of the underlying regolith. The pavers could be constructed leveraging in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Lunar regolith has been identified as a potential construction material. Additionally, the pavers could be installed via robotic assembly, reducing the need for human labor in harsh environments.