Laser welding study of vacuum sintered HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant
Source abstract
Abstract
Efforts are underway to establish a permanent lunar base on the Moon. In situ lunar regolith is anticipated to be useful as a building material after sintering. However, sintering lunar regolith into a large-scale structure presents challenges. Therefore, the key to lunar construction lies in assembling multiple small-sized sintered modules into a stable, large-sized structure. This study explored the feasibility of welding the sintered HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant (HLRS) using a laser device and conducted experiments using lasers of varying power. The microstructure, mineral composition, element distribution, and shear strength of the welded joint were investigated. A few low-melting minerals were fused and vaporized during welding, leading to the generation of thermal decomposition gas. Furthermore, the welded joint exhibited numerous micro-cracks, pores, and bubbles, resulting in reduced weld shear strength. Finally, the influence of laser power on weld shear strength was investigated, revealing that the highest shear strength (15.69 N/cm) was achieved at a laser power of 1000 W. This study demonstrates the feasibility of laser welding of sintered HLRS for the first time, with potential applications in lunar base construction.
Source: expertdata · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Planetary Science and Exploration · Space Exploration and Technology · Astro and Planetary Science
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
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