Any reason calcium transmission wires wouldn't work on the moon?

I've read about the possibility of using calcium wires on the moon; I
don't recall where, maybe in one of those O'Neill studies from the late
seventies.

Anyway, my recollection is that the article or book stated that calcium
would be an excellent conductor, but any calcium wires would have to be
coated. The reason is that calcium will slowly sublimate --- transition
directly from solid to gas --- in a vacuum, so a coating is required so as
to ensure that the wires don't waste away over time.

Ron
*****

"Combs, Mike"
01/30/2002 04:59 PM
Please respond to spacesettlers

To: "'spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com'"

cc:
Subject: RE: [spacesettlers] Re: Any reason calcium
transmission wires wou ldn' t work on the moon?

It could very well be that calcium has never really been used for
transmission lines here on Earth due to low tensile strength (I don't
know). But of course we're talking about high-tension power lines. On
the moon, we might re-examine the entire notion of whether or not high
tension lines on tall towers are even necessary. Here on Earth, I expect
it's chiefly to keep them away from animals and people. But on the moon,
line buried under a foot or two of soil might be what's preferred.

It's just the sort of "thinking outside the box" that this enterprise
needs.

Regards,

Mike Combs
From: victoriatangoman [mailto:tango_dancer@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 3:09 PM
To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spacesettlers] Re: Any reason calcium transmission wires wouldn' t work
on the moon?

Thanks for the quick turnaround on those answers, Mike.

I meant to write that copper was rare, not aluminum or calcium.

I seem to recall that calcium performed SIGNIFICANTLY better than
aluminum, but isn't used on earth because of the atmosphere here. At
the time I came across this fact, I remember thinking that when
mankind gets up to the moon, then it might make sense to use it.

Well, here I am doing my deep thinking about these issues and I
remember this little piece of information, but now that I want to
know more about it, I can't seem to find any sources that discuss it.

I thought there might be an engineer, physicist, chenmist, or
materials scientist in this group who would have that information at
their fingertips, or could walk down the hall and talk to their
buddy who does know.

I'm working with the assumption (possibly eroneous) that in a
vacuum, it approaches superconductor performance.

I'm just looking for some facts to help straigthen out my thinking.