ELECTROSTATIC FRACTIONATION OF NATURAL AND PROCESSED LUNAR SOLIDS IN SPACE

RESEARCH ON SEPARATION AND CONCENTRATION OF LUNAR DERIVED MATERIALS IS PROPOSED BASED ON ADVANCED ENERGY DYNAMICS' STATE OF THE ART EXPERIENCE IN DRY ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF SEPARATING THESE MATERIALS INTO A VARIETY OF CHEMICALLY DISTINCT FRACTIONS USING A NOVEL COUNTERCURRENT ELECTROSTATIC PROCESS WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATOR TO BE USED IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR PROCESSING FINE DUST IN SPACE. IT IS DESIGNED TO WORK IN LOW OR ZERO GRAVITY CONDITIONS, HIGH VACUUM, FROM CRYOGENIC TO HIGH TEMPERATURES, ON BOTH CONDUCTIVE AND NON-CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS. THE SEPARATOR HAS HIGH PROCESSING CAPACITY, IS LIGHT WEIGHT, COMPACT, ENERGY EFFICIENT AND CAN PROCESS MATERIAL WITH A PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION FROM <5 TO >250 MICRONS IN DIAMETER. THE PROCESS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO SEPARATE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL (COAL AND COKE) FROM SILICACEOUS MATERIALS (CLAY AND FLYASH) AND IS EXPECTED TO FIND APPLICATION IN EXTRACTING METAL ORES, CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS AND VOLATILE ICES FROM LUNAR, MARTIAN AND ASTEROIDAL SOURCES.