Regolith-derived ferrosilicon as a potential feedstock material for wire-based additive manufacturing

Ferrosilicon is a primary metallic alloy produced during the reduction of metal oxides contained in lunar and Martian regolith by a variety of techniques. This study examines the usefulness of ferrosilicon as a candidate feedstock material for wire-based 3D printers designed for in-space manufacturing. Alloys of composition ranging from pure iron to 12 wt% Si were synthesized and their electrical and mechanical properties characterized. The melts were cast into rods for mechanical testing to determine ultimate strength and ductility. It was determined that the samples above 3 wt% Si were too brittle to be pulled into wire and ruptured at low strain values. The 3 wt% Si sample and iron had comparable mechanical properties relative to samples of higher silicon content but with differences in ductility and ultimate strength. Microstructure and compositional studies revealed the differences between the ductile and brittle samples as being the complete ferrite phase presence on the iron and low-Si content samples. This study establishes an upper limit on the Si content at 3 wt% in ferrosilicon materials to be used in wire feedstock in additive manufacturing for in-space applications. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.