Magnetic beneficiation – A novel approach to facilitate additive manufacturing of lunar regolith ceramics by vat photopolymerization

Using lunar regolith in on-site additive manufacturing (AM) is critical for future crewed lunar missions, enabling the on-demand fabrication of tools, spare parts, and infrastructure. Stereolithography-based AM shows promise for fabricating precise and durable regolith-derived ceramics, but its heterogeneous mineral composition and granulometry pose challenges during the 3D-printing and sintering stages. This study explores magnetic beneficiation as a strategy to enhance the processability of LHS-1 lunar regolith simulant for vat photopolymerization-based AM. We have explored the impact of preliminary magnetic beneficiation of LHS-1 lunar regolith simulant on its printability and sintering behaviour by assessing the mechanical properties and microstructure of 3D-printed ceramic parts. It was found that by selectively removing the magnetic fraction, it is possible to achieve a sixfold reduction in exposure time per layer (from 60 to 10 s), enabling faster and more efficient printing. Si...