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Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon
(2023)
The next steps for the expansion of the human presence in the solar system will be taken on the Moon. However, due to the low lunar gravity, the suspended dust generated when lunar rovers move across the lunar soil is a significant risk for lunar missions as it can affect the systems of the exploration vehicles. One solution to mitigate this problem is the construction of roads and landing pads on the Moon. In addition, to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques must be developed. In this paper, the use of concentrated light for paving on the Moon by melting the lunar regolith is investigated. As a substitute of the concentrated sunlight, a high-power CO2 laser is used in the experiments. With this set-up, a maximum laser spot diameter of 100 mm can be achieved, which translates in high thicknesses of the consolidated layers. Furthermore, the lunar regolith simulant EAC-1A is used as a substitute of the actual lunar soil. At the end of the study, large samples (approximately 250 × 250 mm) with interlocking capabilities were fabricated by melting the lunar simulant with the laser directly on the powder bed. Large areas of lunar soil can be covered with these samples and serve as roads and landing pads, decreasing the propagation of lunar dust. These manufactured samples were analysed regarding their ineralogical composition, internal structure and mechanical properties.
The Laser-Induced Slip Casting is an additive manufacturing technology specifically developed for ceramic materials using water-based ceramic slurries. The process takes place layer-by-layer in a similar fashion as top-down vat photopolymerization, selectively consolidating each layer by means of a laser energy source positioned on the top. Contrary to vat photopolymerization, in which the consolidation is achieved by selectively cross-linking a ceramic-filled resin, LIS uses water-based slurries with a low amount of organic additives (typically < 5 wt%) as feedstocks.
In LIS, a green body is formed by local evaporation of water which causes the suspension to collapse forming a cast, following a mechanism similar to slip casting. Only a small content of organic additives is needed to effectively disperse the ceramic particles and to increase the green strength.
The technology is very versatile and can be applied to all ceramic systems that can be dispersed in water. One of the main advantages is that even dark materials such as silicon carbide can be processed without issues related to light scattering and absorption.
The presentation will discuss strengths and limitations of LIS compared to other AM technologies and will highlight the latest results for alumina and for silicon carbide ceramics.