Ilmenite Reduction
Reduction of ilmenite (FeTiO3) is a chemical reaction proposed for use in production of oxygen (LUNOX) from lunar resources.
Hydrogen Reduction
Hydrogen reduction is one method currently being tested by many Universities. Products of the hydrogen reduction are free iron, titanium dioxide, and water. The resulting water can be removed by condensation and separated via electrolysis to produce oxygen and H2 (hydrogen). The hydrogen is then be recycled into the reaction.
The basic process sequence is to separate ilmenite from lunar soil, crush it to a fine powder to maximize the surface area, heat the ilmenite in an enclosed reaction vessel in the presence of hydrogen gas, condense the steam which is produced by the reaction, and then use electrolysis to separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen. The process is best utilized if the plant is sited in a location in which ilmenite composes a high fraction of the soil.
The reaction sequence is:
Reduction:
FeTiO3+H2 ---->Fe+TiO2+H2O
Electrolysis:
2H2O ---->2 H2+ O2
Net Reaction:
2FeTiO3---->2Fe+2TiO2+ O2
Other Methods of Ilmenite reduction
Carbothermal reduction of Ilmenite
Li or Na reduction of Ilmenite
Methane reduction of Ilmenite
Plasma reduction of Ilmenite
External Links
ISRU on the Moon. by Larry Taylor http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar_knowledge/LTaylor.pdf
Extraction Techniques-Oxygen. G. L. Kulcinski, February 18, 2004 http://fti.neep.wisc.edu/neep533/SPRING2004/lecture13.pdf
Processing Lunar Soils for Oxygen and Other Materials. Knudsen & Gibson http://nss.org/settlement/nasa/spaceresvol3/plsoom1.htm
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