Lower temperature electrochemical reduction of lunar regolith simulants in molten salts

Meurisse, A.; Lomax, Bethany A.; Selmeci, Áron; Conti, Melchiorre; Lindner, Robert; Makaya, Advenit; Symes, Mark D.

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2021.105408

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The utilisation of inorganic chloride salts-based DESs have also been investigated [41][42][43][44] , which opens the opportunity to synthesise novel DESs by utilising in space materials. The presence of calcium, aluminium, iron, and zinc, for instance, have already been reported in regolith 4,25,45 , whereas the presence of halogen gas (chlorine, bromide) have been reported in the atmosphere of some planets like Mars and Venus 46 . Urea and glycerol could also be produced in space from waste and therefore, be considered as potential HBDs [47][48][49][50][51] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Over the last 60 years, different process technologies have been conceptualised and demonstrated for oxygen and hydrogen production from lunar regolith and Martian soil 1,4,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25] . Even though, the extraction of rare earth elements from basal rocks using microorganisms in different gravity regimes has recently been demonstrated on the International Space Station 26 , the recovery of metals has been treated solely as a by-product rather than a target resource.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extraterrestrial mining – A novel method for extracting minerals and metals from asteroids

Rivera

Bird

Jenkin

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Extra-terrestrial mining is vital for access to strategic metals for space exploration and to feed an increasing terrestrial need for metals in sustainable energy generation and storage. This study demonstrates for the first time the catalytic dissolution of metals from meteorite proxies of metal-rich asteroids using a deep eutectic solvent (DES). DESs are of particular interest for extra-terrestrial mining as they can be designed to have relatively low vapour pressures and could potentially be made from waste products created in extra-terrestrial settlements. Three types of meteorites were investigated: 2 chondrites (H3, H5) and one iron (IAB-MG) meteorite. Chondrites samples were composed of silicates (olivine, pyroxene) with metallic phases occurring as native metal alloys and sulphides. Metallic Fe-Ni and troilite (FeS) are the most abundant metal-bearing phases in all three samples, particularly in the iron-rich meteorite. The samples were subjected to chemical micro-etching experiments with iodine and iron(III) chloride as oxidising agents in a DES formed from the mixture of choline chloride (ChCl) and ethylene glycol (EG). Micro-etching experiments demonstrated that Fe-Ni phases are effectively leached out in this system, while other mineral phases remain unreactive.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extraterrestrial mining – A novel method for extracting minerals and metals from asteroids

Rivera

Bird

Jenkin

et al. 2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…A small number of studies have shown that such a process is a viable method of generating oxygen electrochemically from artificial simulants of lunar soils ("lunar regolith"), co-generating reduced (metallic) regolith species as by-products (which could find use in construction on the lunar surface) [21][22][23] . Moreover, the FFC-Cambridge process could offer a number of unique benefits over alternative methods for oxygen production in certain contexts.…”

Section: Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzermentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrolysis in reduced gravitational environments: current research perspectives and future applications

et al. 2022

Self Cite

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Electrochemical energy conversion technologies play a crucial role in space missions, for example, in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS). They are also vitally important for future long-term space travel for oxygen, fuel and chemical production, where a re-supply of resources from Earth is not possible. Here, we provide an overview of currently existing electrolytic energy conversion technologies for space applications such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolyzer systems. We discuss the governing interfacial processes in these devices influenced by reduced gravitation and provide an outlook on future applications of electrolysis systems in, e.g., in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies. A perspective of computational modelling to predict the impact of the reduced gravitational environment on governing electrochemical processes is also discussed and experimental suggestions to better understand efficiency-impacting processes such as gas bubble formation and detachment in reduced gravitational environments are outlined.

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“…The method has also been used to create nano and micro-sized particles of mono and binary carbides and oxycarbides [7][8][9][10][11]. Furthermore, it has been utilised to synthesise graphene by electrochemically reducing graphene oxide and to recover oxygen from lunar regolith [12,13]. The benefits of the FFC-Cambridge process over other extractive metallurgy processes are its simplicity, relatively low energy needs, relatively low labour requirements, and the ability to directly reduce a mixture of various metal oxides to produce alloys.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the behaviour of a niobium oxide cathode in a molten chloride bath using different DC voltammetric techniques

Mashaal

Abdelkarim

Dawood

et al. 2023

Electrochemistry Communications

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Lower temperature electrochemical reduction of lunar regolith simulants in molten salts

Cited by 16 publications

References 51 publications

Extraterrestrial mining – A novel method for extracting minerals and metals from asteroids

Extraterrestrial mining – A novel method for extracting minerals and metals from asteroids

Electrolysis in reduced gravitational environments: current research perspectives and future applications

Understanding the behaviour of a niobium oxide cathode in a molten chloride bath using different DC voltammetric techniques

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