Evaluation of lunar rocks and soils for resource utilization: Detailed image analysis of raw materials and beneficiated products

Other

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

1

Image Analysis, Lunar Geology, Mineral Deposits, Mineralogy, Petrography, Regolith, Imaging Techniques, Lunar Bases, Lunar Rocks, Lunar Soil

Scientific paper

The rocks and soils of the Moon will be the raw materials for fuels and construction needs at a lunar base. This includes sources of materials for the generation of hydrogen, oxygen, metals, and other potential construction materials. For most of the bulk material needs, the regolith, and its less than 1 cm fraction, the soil, will suffice. But for specific mineral resources, it may be necessary to concentrate minerals from rocks or soils, and it is not always obvious which is the more appropriate feedstock. Besides an appreciation of site geology, the mineralogy and petrography of local rocks and soils is important for consideration of the resources which can provide feedstocks of ilmenite, glass, agglutinates, anorthite, etc. In such studies, it is very time-consuming and practically impossible to correlate particle counts (the traditional method of characterizing lunar soil petrography) with accurate modal analyses and with mineral associations in multi-mineralic grains. But x ray digital imaging, using x rays characteristic of each element, makes all this possible and much more (e.g., size and shape analysis). An application of beneficiation image analysis, in use in our lab (Oxford Instr. EDS and Cameca SX-50 EMP), was demonstrated to study mineral liberation from lunar rocks and soils. Results of x ray image analysis are presented.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Evaluation of lunar rocks and soils for resource utilization: Detailed image analysis of raw materials and beneficiated products does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Evaluation of lunar rocks and soils for resource utilization: Detailed image analysis of raw materials and beneficiated products, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Evaluation of lunar rocks and soils for resource utilization: Detailed image analysis of raw materials and beneficiated products will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1450745

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.