Influence of Mineral Composition on Sintering Lunar Regolith

Meurisse, A.; Beltzung, J. C.; Kolbe, Matthias; Cowley, Aidan; Sperl, Matthias

doi:10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000721

Cited by 65 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Multilayer manufacturing experiments were carried out using a constant scanning speed of 320 mm/s, the value identified as the best by the previous single-track experiments, and by after HIP processing of JSC-1A lunar mare regolith simulant in air 46 . …”

Section: Multiple Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 Both approaches, however, yielded much lower strengths than those obtained from regolithbased concretes also using process additives 56 or when conventional sintering techniques were used 46,57 where values ranging from 36 up to 150 MPa were recorded. It should be noted, though, that both these manufacturing routes require significant additional resources, whether equipment and/or materials, making them a more significant technical challenge to locate and operate on the Lunar surface.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Goulas

Binner

Engstrøm

et al. 2018

Proceedings of the IMechE

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Additive manufacturing and its related techniques have frequently been put forward as a promising candidate for planetary in-situ manufacturing, from building life-sustaining habitats on the Moon to fabricating various replacements parts, aiming to support future extra-terrestrial human activity. This paper investigates the mechanical behaviour of lunar regolith simulant material components, which is a potential future space engineering material, manufactured by a laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system. The influence of laser energy input during processing was associated with the evolution of component porosity, measured via optical and scanning electron microscopy in combination with gas expansion pycnometry. The compressive strength performance and Vickers microhardness of the components were analysed and related back to the processing history and resultant microstructure of the lunar regolith simulant build material. , with a maximum compressive strength of 4.2 ± 0.1 MPa and elastic modulus of 287.3 ± 6.6 MPa, the former is comparable to a typical masonry clay brick (3.5 MPa). The 2 AM parts also had an average hardness value of 657 ± 14 HV 0.05/15 , better than borosilicate glass (580 HV).This study has shed significant insight into realizing the potential of a laser-based powder bed fusion AM process to deliver functional engineering assets via in-situ and abundant material sources that can be potentially used for future engineering applications in aerospace and astronautics.

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Section: Multiple Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Goulas

Binner

Engstrøm

et al. 2018

Proceedings of the IMechE

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“…Density measurement results were followed by SEM analysis (see Figure ) of the fabricated samples. SEM of oven sintered samples show that, when sintered under ambient conditions, an up to 1 μm thick layer of oxide was formed at the grain boundaries (eg, MgO and Fe 2 O 3 around an olivine phase) while under vacuum oxidization of the material was prevented. Additionally, material undergoes the outgassing while implementing vacuum sintering.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the following, various samples were produced using different methods (laser, conventional solar and microwave sintering) by applying optimal process parameters obtained during previous investigations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal properties of processed lunar regolith simulant

Fateri

Sottong

Kolbe

et al. 2019

Int J Applied Ceramic Tech

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In this paper, the thermal characterization of lunar regolith simulant, sintered using a conventional oven under ambient and vacuum conditions is presented. Additionally, thermal characterization of samples is performed for the parts manufactured using solar, laser, and microwave processing. Samples for oven sintering are prepared using regolith bulk simulant as well as simulant pressed at 255 MPa for 10 minutes. Similar experiments are performed with a mixture of Johnson Space Center (JSC)-2A + 20 wt% of ilmenite, a common lunar mineral. Samples are characterized regarding their thermal capacity, thermal diffusivity, density, and thermal conductivity. Furthermore, sample morphology is studied using scanning electron microscopy.Lastly, processing of regolith for lunar thermal energy storage is discussed. K E Y W O R D SISRU, moon, regolith, sintering, thermal energy storage 2420 |

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Development and test of a Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (LES³) for the LUVMI‐X rover platform

Just

Roy

Joy

et al. 2021

Journal of Field Robotics

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Future sustained human presence on the Moon will require us to make use of lunar resources. This in‐situ resource utilisation (ISRU) process will require suitable feedstock (i.e., lunar regolith) that has been both acquired and prepared (or beneficiated) to set standards. Acquisition of pre‐processed regolith, is an often overlooked engineering challenge in the demanding and low‐gravity environment of the lunar surface. Currently, regolith excavation and size separation are often developed independently of each other. Here, we present the Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (LES3), which is an engineered one‐system solution to combine the acquisition of lunar regolith as well as separate it into two distinct size fractions, and therefore, can assist to define the quality of the feedstock material for ISRU processes. Intended for use with a lightweight (40–60 kg) lunar rover (LUnar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation‐X; LUVMI‐X) currently under development, the mechanism utilises vibrations to reduce excavation forces and facilitate size separation. Low excavation forces are crucial for lunar excavators to be deployable on lightweight robotic platforms as limited traction forces are available. The rationale behind the mechanism is explained, its capabilities in the support of science and ISRU are showcased, and results from several laboratory test campaigns, including tests of gravitational dry sieving of different regolith simulants, are presented. The LES3 can excavate up to 100 g in a single charge while maintaining excavation forces of less than 8 N and having a mass of less than 2 kg. Finally, areas of improvement for a second iteration of the design are presented and explained. The LES3 proof of concept shows that combining of regolith excavation and size‐separation in a single mechanism is feasible.

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Influence of Mineral Composition on Sintering Lunar Regolith

Cited by 65 publications

References 16 publications

Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Thermal properties of processed lunar regolith simulant

Development and test of a Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (LES³) for the LUVMI‐X rover platform

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Influence of Mineral Composition on Sintering Lunar Regolith

Cited by 65 publications

References 16 publications

Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components

Thermal properties of processed lunar regolith simulant

Development and test of a Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (LES3) for the LUVMI‐X rover platform

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Development and test of a Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (LES³) for the LUVMI‐X rover platform