From soil to structure: cellulose-based artificial Martian paste for in situ component fabrication utilising direct ink writing

• Published in: Progress in additive manufacturing 2024-12, Vol.9 (6), p.2099-2112
• Main Author: Ghosh, Avishek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Engineering; Full Research Article; Lasers; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials Science; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Processes
• ISSN: 2363-9512; 2363-9520
• DOI: 10.1007/s40964-024-00567-3

Human space exploration missions in the near future will inevitably demand beyond-Earth manufacturing capacity to develop critical subsystems utilising in situ resources. Therefore, to find an alternative solution to the logistics challenges of long-duration space missions, an on-site component fabrication process utilising indigenous resources on the Moon and Mars will be economical and play a crucial role in ensuring the expansion of succeeding missions to deep space. Additive manufacturing (AM) exhibits excellent potential to develop intricate components with functional and tailorable properties at various scales. To assess the potential of AM, an artificial Mars soil has been processed to formulate stable aqueous paste containing less organics (1.5% versus typically 30–40%) amenable to resource-efficient 3D printing. The formulated paste was utilised to fabricate a range of solid and porous designs of various shapes and sizes using a layer-wise material extrusion method for the first time. The additively manufactured components sintered at 1100 °C for 2 h exhibited an average relative permittivity ( ε r ) = 4.43, dielectric loss ( tanδ ) = 0.0014, quality factor ( Q  ×  f ) = 7710 GHz and TCf  =  − 9. This work not only demonstrates progress in paste additive manufacturing but also illustrates the potential to formulate eco-friendly ink that can deliver components with functional properties to support long-term space exploration utilising local resources available on Mars.