Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components
(2019) In Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications 233(8). p.1629-1644- Abstract
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... (More)
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 micro-hardness of the components were analysed and related back to the processing history and resultant microstructure of the lunar regolith simulant build material. Fabricated structures exhibited a relative porosity of 44–49% and densities ranging from 1.76 to 2.3 g cm−3, 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 additive manufacturing parts also had an average hardness value of 657 ± 14 HV0.05/15, better than borosilicate glass (580 HV). This study has shed significant insight into realising the potential of a laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing 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.
(Less)
- author
- Goulas, Athanasios ; Binner, Jon G.P. ; Engstrøm, Daniel S. ; Harris, Russell A. and Friel, Ross J. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- In-situ resource utilisation, laser additive manufacturing, lunar construction, lunar regolith, mechanical properties, powder bed fusion
- in
- Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications
- volume
- 233
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 1629 - 1644
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85047802317
- ISSN
- 1464-4207
- DOI
- 10.1177/1464420718777932
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a2543438-8298-404e-9417-25bec9ea282b
- date added to LUP
- 2018-06-15 14:36:45
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 07:30:39
@article{a2543438-8298-404e-9417-25bec9ea282b,
abstract = {{<p>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 micro-hardness of the components were analysed and related back to the processing history and resultant microstructure of the lunar regolith simulant build material. Fabricated structures exhibited a relative porosity of 44–49% and densities ranging from 1.76 to 2.3 g cm<sup>−3</sup>, 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 additive manufacturing parts also had an average hardness value of 657 ± 14 HV<sub>0.05/15</sub>, better than borosilicate glass (580 HV). This study has shed significant insight into realising the potential of a laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing 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.</p>}},
author = {{Goulas, Athanasios and Binner, Jon G.P. and Engstrøm, Daniel S. and Harris, Russell A. and Friel, Ross J.}},
issn = {{1464-4207}},
keywords = {{In-situ resource utilisation; laser additive manufacturing; lunar construction; lunar regolith; mechanical properties; powder bed fusion}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{1629--1644}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications}},
title = {{Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1464420718777932}},
doi = {{10.1177/1464420718777932}},
volume = {{233}},
year = {{2019}},
}