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As complex ceramic multicomponent materials, the lunar regolith and minerals still challenge people on onsite utilization technology limited to the lunar surface environment. In this paper, we investigate the suitability of lunar regolith simulants and ilmenite powders for 3D printing (aka Additive Manufacturing) of hypothetical brick aimed at lunar habitat construction. The first generation of laser 3D printing equipment (Lunar 1.0) for our experiments has been designed and assembled, which is suitable for selective laser sintering (SLS) process out of many kinds of ceramic powders to manufacturing samples with different geometrical shapes. The lunar regolith simulants and ilmenite powders are demonstrated obvious spectral absorbance from ultraviolet to near-infrared spectra, which are successfully performed during the SLS process in Lunar 1.0. The 3D printing technologies are constantly improved by adjusting the parameters of laser process and mechanical movement. The morphological features of 3D printed samples, including surface and porosity are investigated by using SEM. The evaluation of size and micro-hardness tests are also conducted to reveal the printing qualities of samples. The EDS and XRD results characterize the elements and components of 3D printed samples. Obviously, the strong heating process by laser source in Lunar 1.0 has a great impact on materials, because the complex multicomponent materials and solid state reaction in high temperature by SLS process for regolith simulants and ilmenite. However, this influence of heat treatment by laser source is quite different from continuously thermal treatment for ceramics such as normal high temperature furnace. In the future, the research for 3D printing of lunar regolith simulants and ilmenite powders for hypothetical brick in vacuum and low gravity will carry out for approaching the extreme manufacturing environment on lunar surface.
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