Abstract
This study investigated the feasibility of in-situ manufacturing of a functionally graded metallic-regolith multimaterial. To fabricate the gradient, digital light processing, an additive manufacturing technique, and spark plasma sintering were selected due to their compatibility with metallic-ceramic processing in a space environment. The chosen methods were initially assessed for their ability to effectively consolidate regolith alone, before progressing to sintering regolith directly onto metallic substrates. Optimised processing conditions based on the initial powder particle size, different compositions of the lunar regolith powders and sintering temperatures were identified. Experiments have successfully proven the consolidation of lunar regolith simulants first via near-net shaping with digital light processing and then spark plasma sintering at 1050 ℃ under 80 MPa. The metallic powders were fully densified at relatively low temperatures and a pressure of 50 MPa with spark plasma sintering. Furthermore, the lunar regolith and Ti6Al4V gradient were found to be the most promising multimaterial combination. While the current study showed that it is feasible to manufacture a functionally graded metallic-regolith, further developments of a fully optimised method have the potential to produce tailored, high-performance multimaterials in an off-earth manufacturing setting for the production of aerospace, robotic, or architectural components.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Adaptive On- and Off-Earth Environments |
Editors | Angelo Cervone, Henriette Bier, Advenit Makaya |
Place of Publication | Cham |
Publisher | Springer |
Chapter | 4 |
Pages | 59-89 |
Number of pages | 31 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-3-031-50081-7 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-3-031-50080-0 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Publication series
Name | Springer Series in Adaptive Environments |
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Publisher | Springer |
ISSN (Print) | 2522-5529 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2522-5537 |
Bibliographical note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-careOtherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.