High temperature sintering mechanics of site-specific lunar regolith simulants

We aim to generate a baseline fundamental description of high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants, with a particular emphasis on the intra- and inter-granular phase and amorphous distribution during sintering and recrystallization. Samples consist of metal-oxides and mineral composites in grain size and chemical concentrations according to returned Apollo specimens, enhanced with glassy components not yet widely present in available simulants for technology verification studies. Heating is seen as the dominant modification process in all processing of regolith: 3D printed constructions, separation of oxygen and metal, and the extraction of volatiles are application areas to be developed. A systematic combinatorial approach employing both micro- and nano-beams is proposed to investigate glass and mineral distribution, skin-core properties and diffuse scattering of simulants of diverse genesis pre-sintered at intervals up to 1500 °C.