PRODUCTION OF OXYGEN BY ELECTROLYSIS OF LUNAR SOIL IN MOLTEN SALT

COSTS FOR MISSIONS IN SPACE CAN BE REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY BY UTILIZING LUNAR RESOURCES. CONSIDERING THE GREAT INTEREST IN THE AVAILABILITY OF OXYGEN, WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE ITS ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION FROM MOLTEN SALT. THIS PROCESS USES LUNAR SOIL WITH MINIMUM OR NO BENEFICIATION AND DOES NOT PRODUCE ANY WASTE. A METAL ALLOYIS OBTAINED AS A USEFUL BYPRODUCT. THIS APPROACH HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BY EMEC CONSULTANTS AT A RECENT NASA WORK SHOP AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE. TROUBLEFREE CATHODIC DEPOSITION AND RECOVERY OF THE METAL COMPONENTS, MINIMAL ELECTROLYTE LOSSES, AND SUFFICIENT STABILITY OF ANODES EMPLOYED ARE MAJOR PREREQUISITES FOR THEENVISIONED PROCESS TO BE VIABLE. IN PHASE I, THE CATHODIC DEPOSITION OF THE METAL COMPONENTS OF LUNAR SOIL WILL BE STUDIED. EXPERIMENTATION WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH CARLTON PEAK ANORTHOSITE AND UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MLS-1 AS THE MAJOR LUNAR SOIL SIMULANTS. WHILE MAINLY CARBON ANODES WILL BE EMPLOYED IN PHASE I, ELECTROLYSIS WITH OXYGEN-EVOLVING ANODES WILL BE STUDIED IN PHASE II, INTRODUCING A WIDE RANGE OF FEED MATERIAL COMPOSITIONS. PHASE II WILL ALSO INCLUDE WORK ON THE RECOVERY OF LITHIUM FROM THE CATHODE PRODUCT. THE DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGY MAY ALSO LEAD TO UNCONVENTIONAL SOLUTIONS IN TERRESTRIAL ORE PROCESSING.