Summary

This paper investigates the feasibility of laser welding vacuum-sintered HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant (HLRS) for lunar base construction. The study examines microstructure, mineral composition, element distribution, and shear strength of welded joints. Key findings include reduced weld shear strength due to micro-cracks and thermal decomposition gas, with optimal shear strength (15.69 N/cm) achieved at 1000 W laser power. This study investigates the laser welding of sintered lunar regolith samples to simulate potential welding applications on future lunar bases. The sintered samples were produced using a vacuum sintering process at 1050°C for 2 hours, resulting in square column samples with a compressive strength of 145.39 MPa. Laser welding experiments were conducted using a YLR2000 fiber laser with power levels of 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 W under atmospheric conditions. The microstructure, phase transitions, surface cavity depth, and weld shear strength were analyzed. The results show that increasing laser power leads to the formation of surface cracks due to rapid heating and cooling, which induces thermal stress. The study highlights the importance of optimizing laser pa

Methods and applications