Aluminum
| Aluminium | |
|---|---|
| Al | |
| In situ availability: | abundant |
| Necessity: | useful |
| Atomic number: | 13 |
| Atomic mass: | 26.981538 |
| group: | 13 |
| period: | 3 |
| normal phase: | Solid |
| series: | Poor Metals |
| density: | 2.70 g/cm3 |
| melting point: | 933.47K, 660.32°C, 1220.58°F |
| boiling point: | 2792K, 2519°C, 4566°F |
| N/A ← B → C | |
| Mg ← Al → Si | |
| Zn ← Ga → Ge | |
| Atomic radius (pm): | 125 |
| Bohr radius (pm): | 118 |
| Covalent radius (pm): | 118 |
| Van der Waals radius (pm): | |
| ionic radius (pm): | (+3) 54 |
| 1st ion potential (eV): | 5.99 |
| Electron Configuration | |
| 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1 | |
| Electrons Per Shell | |
| 2, 8, 3 | |
| Electronegativity: | 1.61 |
| Electron Affinity: | 0.44 |
| Oxidation states: | 3 |
| Magnetism: | Paramagnetic |
| Crystal structure: | Face centered cubic |
Aluminium (in the USA Aluminum) is a Poor Metal in group 13. It has a Face centered cubic crystalline structure. This element has a stable isotope of 27
"Aluminum is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years. It weighs about one-third as much as steel or copper; is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast; and has excellent corrosion resistance and durability. Measured either in quantity or value, aluminum's use exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in virtually all segments of the world economy. Some of the many uses for aluminum are in transportation (automobiles, airplanes, trucks, railcars, marine vessels, etc.), packaging (cans, foil, etc.), construction (windows, doors, siding, etc), consumer durables (appliances, cooking utensils, etc.), electrical transmission lines, machinery, and many other applications."- USGS Aluminum Statistics and Information. [1]
Lunar use
Since there is no evidence of any substantial deposits of copper ore on Luna, substitutes will be used. Aluminium can be used as an electrical conductor in areas of human habitation. Aluminium and a number of other substitutes can serve in vacuum, inert atmosphere or reducing atmosphere environments as might be used in lunar industry. Other uses will include the construction of structures, solar power systems and relay satellites.
According to PERMANENT, the most significant difficulty in using aluminum on the Moon is its large increase in length with increasing temperature. The large range of day/night temperatures make this particularly important. [2]
Lunar Aluminium Production
Main article: Lunar Aluminium Production
Lunar Aluminium production could use an adaptation of the Hall-Héroult or Deville process.
Hall-Héroult process in Earth is the electrolysis of molten alumina (bauxite processed in the Bayer process) with cryolite (Sodium hexafluoroaluminate).
It is critical to find fluorine on the moon in order to produce artificial cryolite for the Hall-Heroult process on the moon.
Other options are importing fluorine which would be stringently recycled and an ion-sputtering process to produce aluminium. Al203 and carbon can be processed at high temperatures into Al4C3.[3] [4] This breaks down into Aluminium and Carbon between 1900 and 2000 centigrade. Carbon monoxide given off in processing[5] can be recycled into carbon.
See Also
References
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