Calcium lanthanum sulfide (CLS) is a well known ceramic material that can be used in infrared optics for spectroscopy, imaging, and optical components of medical equipment. While CLS is a useful infrared transparent ceramic, the lack of a reproducible and dependable manufacturing process remains a significant hurdle to realizing its full utilization. The poor reproducibility is associated with variability in powder precursors availbe to be formed into parts of interest. To address this need, Luna and our team will develop a continuous flow production method of CLS powder to be used as a precursor for forming components of interest. To ensure CLS powder quality, Luna will leverage principles of Lean Six Sigma to improve repoducibiltiy, increase yied, reduce cost, and maintain a level of quality that is required to generate uniform components for testing, characterization, and product integration.
Benefit: Current interest in calcium lanthanum sulfide (CLS) is motivated by the desire to revisit basic research investigations into its high temperature optical and mechanical properties and to perform applied research into its application as a material for multi-band optical components. Advances in controlling the starting CLS product quality and consistency will result in further advancements in a variety of applications incudling, but not limited to, optical windows on infrared sensing equipment, supporting optical components for various infrared lasers, minituraization of infrared cameras for manufacturing advancements, advances in infrared medical equipment, advances in infrared spectroscopy, and more. CLS and other optical ceramics have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of optical windows that have been limited by the prohibitive costs of single-crystall optical materials.
Keywords: sulfides, sulfides, infrared transparent, Hypersonics, Ceramics
