Performance of electrodynamic dust shields with functional surface coatings for lunar dust mitigation

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Lunar dust poses significant challenges for long-duration missions due to its adhesiveness and abrasiveness, threatening surface equipment functionality, longevity, and astronaut health. Electrodynamic Dust Shields (EDS) offer a promising solution for lunar dust mitigation by exploiting electrodynamic waves to repel dust, but their long-term performance and sensitivity to operational parameters remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates EDS devices made with nanocomposite chemically modified reduced graphene oxide (CMrGO) electrodes on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) substrates incorporating novel dielectric coatings: nanopatterned polystyrene (PS) to suppress micro-discharges and trichloro perfluorooctyl silane (TPFS) to reduce adhesion forces. Experiments under high vacuum with dynamic dusting, simulating key aspects of the lunar environment, assess the influence of applied voltage and coating materials on dust removal efficiency. Residual dust size distribution and device degradation are analyzed to understand the long-term behavior. The results show statistically significant differences in the performance of devices with different coatings. Uncoated EDS operated in the kilovolt range completely prevents dust accumulation but exhibits frequent micro-discharges and degradation. PS-coated samples reduce micro-discharges but decrease dust removal by 30%. TPFS-coated devices limit this decrease to 10% when operated at 1500 V and demonstrate enhanced durability. Coatings also affect residual dust size distribution, with TPFS-coated samples reducing the mean particle size by 50% compared to uncoated devices. Optimal configurations are identified by prioritizing either safety or dust removal efficiency.