Physics – Condensed Matter – Materials Science
Scientific paper
Mar 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001mms..conf..525s&link_type=abstract
Microgravity Materials Science Conference 2000, vol. 3, p. 525
Physics
Condensed Matter
Materials Science
Oxygen Production, Metals, Physical Chemistry, Electrolysis, Fabrication, Silicon, Electrochemical Synthesis, Space Processing, Soils, Mars Surface, Lunar Rocks, Aluminum, Research, Thermodynamic Properties, Steels, Electrodes, Molten Salt Electrolytes, Reactivity
Scientific paper
The proposed work is in the area of Extraterrestrial Processes and Technology Development, specifically In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), and seeks to explore the use of molten oxide electrolysis for the generation of oxygen and the production of metals from natural resources found on the Moon/Mars. For the exploration of other bodies in the solar system, electrochemical processing is arguably the most versatile technology for conversion of local resources into usable commodities: by electrolysis one can produce (1) breathable oxygen, (2) silicon for the fabrication of solar cells, (3) various reactive metals for use as electrodes in advanced storage batteries, and (4) structural metals such as steel and aluminum. To date there has been no sustained effort to develop a process, in part due to the inadequacy of the database. The present study will identify chemistries capable of sustaining molten oxide electrolysis in the cited applications and will examine the behavior of laboratory-scale cells designed to generate oxygen and produce metal. The basic research will include the study of the underlying high-temperature physical chemistry of oxide melts representative of lunar regolith and of Martian soil. To move beyond empirical approaches to process development, the thermodynamic and transport properties of oxide melts will be studied to help set the limits of composition and temperature for the processing trials that will follow. Process efficiency will be investigated in laboratory-scale electrolysis cells. For optimization, the kinetics of the relevant processes at the cathode and the anode will be studied by a.c. voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The goal of this investigation is to deliver a working prototype cell that can use lunar regolith and Martian soil to produce breathable oxygen along with metal by-product. Additionally, the results of this work can be generalized to permit adaptation to accommodate different feedstock chemistries, such as those that will be encountered on other bodies in the solar system. The expected results of the proposed research are: (1) the identification of appropriate electrolyte chemistries; (2) the selection of candidate anode and cathode materials compatible with electrolytes named above; and (3) performance data from laboratory-scale cells producing oxygen and metal. This information will enable assessment of the technical viability of molten oxide electrolysis for in situ resource utilization on the Moon and Mars. In parallel, there may be commercial applications here on earth, specifically, new "green" technologies for extraction of metals and for treatment of hazardous waste, e.g., fixing heavy metals.
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