Additive Manufacturing of Lunar Regolith for Electromagnetic Applications

• Melanie Heider, Material Science, University of Delaware

• Mark Mirotznik, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is critical for establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon. This proposed additive manufacturing system leverages ISRU to utilize lunar regolith as the primary material, significantly reducing the need to transport materials from Earth. The project aims to develop an excursion-based system that uses lunar regolith mixed with cyanate ester, a high-performance thermoset resin known for its excellent thermal and electrical properties. Pre-analysis experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. Computed Tomography (CT) scanning was used to analyze the mixture, focusing on porosity analysis. The presence of pores could affect the thermal and electrical conductivity. Ensuring low porosity is crucial for maintaining consistent thermal and electrical properties, which is essential for the performance of electromagnetic applications. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) data was used to optimize the curing process of the regolith-cyanate ester mixture. The DSC analysis helped in understanding the thermal behavior of the mixture, ensuring that the curing process should be conducted at a certain temperature. Electromagnetic analysis of cast/hardened/cured samples was conducted to retrieve the permittivity and permeability of the regolith-cyanate ester composite. Findings informed the refinement of the composite formulation and processing techniques to achieve the desired electromagnetic properties. Future work will focus on refining the curing process to prevent the material from becoming overly viscous under heating, thus maintaining the desired mechanical properties and layer adhesion.