A new technique for in-site lunar manufacturing by utilizing electron beam melting/sintering in lunar regolith fabrication
- Paper ID
99040
- author
- company
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences.; Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- country
China
- year
2025
- abstract
\begin{document} The establishment of lunar base is crucial for advancing lunar research and deep space exploration. In-situ construction using lunar regolith is considered the most feasible method for building lunar infrastructure. This study develops a novel electron beam forming process for lunar regolith manufacturing, specifically designed to meet the challenges in the extreme environment on lunar surface. Compared to other high-energy melting techniques, the electron beam forming process has strong adaptability to vacuum environment and high energy efficiency. By utilizing a defocused preheating strategy to reduce thermal stress concentration during high-energy forming process, issues like cracks or deformation due to overheating were decreased. Parameters such as electron source power and scanning speed were optimized, successfully achieving adjustable control over the molten layer thickness in the range of 1 to 5 mm. The adjustability of molten thickness allows for more versatile manufacturing processes, such as additive manufacturing. The optimal forming energy density of 4.5 J/mm$^2$ was achieved, while keeping the deformation rate and porosity below 5\% and 25\%, respectively. To understand the microstructure of the fabricated material, XRF, XPS, and XRD characterization were employed. The results indicate the formation of a dense Al-Si-O glass phase on the material surface, which contributes to a surface hardness up to 795.14 HV. All these improvements have effectively enhanced the mechanical property of the materials and increased the overall efficiency of the forming process. The feasibility of the electron beam lunar regolith forming process was validated, providing a reliable technique for in-situ lunar construction and long-term lunar exploration. \end{document}