About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials and Manufacturing in Space
|
| Presentation Title |
Enabling lunar In-Situ resource utilization through additive friction stir deposition |
| Author(s) |
James Caudill, R Sarvesha |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
James Caudill |
| Abstract Scope |
Sustained human lunar presence will require manufacturing technologies capable of producing structural components using locally available resources while minimizing dependence on Earth-supplied materials. Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) is a promising solid-state additive manufacturing process for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), enabling the fabrication of metallic components without melting. In this work, aluminum–lunar regolith metal matrix composites (MMCs) were produced using regolith-integrated AA6061 feedstock and characterized to establish relationships among processing, microstructure, and mechanical performance. AFSD produced fully consolidated deposits with refined grain structures and a homogeneous dispersion of regolith particles throughout the aluminum matrix. Transmission electron microscopy revealed dislocation–regolith interactions consistent with an Orowan-type strengthening mechanism. The resulting MMCs exhibited improved strength while retaining substantial tensile ductility compared with unreinforced deposits. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of reinforcement mechanisms in AFSD-processed aluminum–regolith MMCs and further establish AFSD as a promising manufacturing platform for lunar ISRU applications. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Aluminum, Process Technology |