| Magma Process Lunar Resources Overview Blister Steel Lunar Cement Bioleaching Acid Leaching etc. Electrostatic Separation Rationale More Thoughts Lunar Uranium Na-K-P-KREEP Return to L1 Nexus |
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| QUESTIONS Are there layers of chromite deep beneath the maria? Chromite is dense and sinks in lava flows like the Bushveld complex in S. Africa. The maria are vast lava plains and there are small amounts of chromite in the upper layers. If there are, we could mine them for chromium, an essential ingredient of stainless steel and ruby rods (if we can grow giant ruby laser crystal rods in space-that may be very far fetched) for defense systems and fusion reactors. Chromium has catalytic properties for some industrial processes also. It can also be used for abrasion resistant irons. Are there chambers or porous rock formations beneath the Moon containing volcanic CO and SO2 gas, and even a little H2O, H2S and Cl? If there are, we could obtain carbon for making steel and cast iron. Also, sulfur for making sulfuric acid for various industrial processes including aluminum production. Some hydrogen and chlorine would also be of value in these processes. H, C, N and S are present only in traces in the lunar "soil" and richer sources of these would be a great boon to lunar industry. Are there central peaks richer in chrominum and manganese or other deep mantle minerals than those found in the shallower regolith? If so, these might be easy sources of chromium and other heavier elements that sank beneath the crust. Are there low speed asteroid impact sites where concentrations of nickel and PGMs exist in significant (mineable) concentrations? If so, these would be easy mining for nickel, which makes steel really tough and has catalytic uses, and platinum group metals (PGMs) which have great value as catalysts and because they are very corrosion resistant and are of use in hydrogen fuel cells. It is thought that in about 50 years terrestrial supplies of PGMs will be used up. How are we going to have hydrogen fuel cells without PGMs? Industry today is very dependent on PGMs as catalysts in chemical production. Are there intact lava tubes that could serve as human habitations and/or natural mines on the Moon? If there are, they would be of great benefit to Moon mining operations. Is the Aristarchus region richer in sulfur, an indicator of volcanism near there? If so, there may be useful elements that welled up from the deep. Also the central peak of Aristarchus seems to be plagioclase and it could be a source of aluminum. How deep is Cobra Head? Is it a hole to nowhere or is it a huge natural mine? Cobra head is a gaping hole six miles in diameter. Could it be a great upwelling from the deeper Moon? Could there be minerals of value there? What are TLPs( Transient Lunar Phenomena)? If they are volcanic outgassings, why do they glow if the lunar interior is cold? Nobody is sure about TLPs at all. They might just be meteor impacts. If they are outgassings that indicates some heat within the Moon and perhaps volcanic gases of great value to lunar industry. CONCLUSION: NOBODY KNOWS. MUCH MYSTERY STILL SURROUNDS THE MOON. ONLY EXPLORATION RATHER THAN MORE SPECULATION CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS....JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE HYPOTHESIZED ABOUT DEEP MARE CHROMITE LAYERS OR NICKEL AND PGM BEARING CRATERS AND POCKETS OF H, C, N, S, Cl AND F BEARING VOLCANIC GAS DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE REALLY THERE. BUT THEY MIGHT BE AND WE WILL NEVER KNOW WITHOUT EXPLORATION. Why is this so important? As fossil fuel supplies dwindle over the course of the 21st century and CO2 increases occur, our reliance on oil, gas, clean coal and nuclear fission might have to be superseded by better energy sources like SPS and helium 3 fusion. We are facing a century of 1) Resource Wars 2) Environmental Destruction 3) Overpopulation 4) Economic upheavil as traditional energy sources and metal mines play out 5) Nuclear Proliferation Our energy future and economic future may depend on outer space resources. We might even expand off planet to a terraformed Mars and orbital space colonies. Space ABM defenses constructed from more easily obtained lunar resources than materials rocketed up from Earth may become essential as the world industrializes and more and more nations have the capacity to build nuclear weapons and actually do so. There may be global warming and sea level rise. There may be other pollution problems also like over flowing nuclear waste dumps if we do not achieve fusion or space solar power or both. As the population swells and standards of living rise due to industrialization, terrrestrial resources may be used up and environmental damage might become severe. Coal burning releases more radioactivity than any nuclear power plant, although clean coal technology might scrub the radionucleides and heavy metals out of the smoke. If we use ground based solar and winds we will need energy storage systems and those are likely to consist of water electrolysis systems, metal hydride storage systems for hydrogen and fuel cells that use platinum to generate electricity when the Sun doesn't shine or winds don't blow. For these reasons, I take exploration of space and ultimately industrialization and colonization of space seriously. |
| SEE: THE DAMASCUS PROJECT |
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| Solar furnaces will be at the heart of lunar mineral processing, metal extraction and casting. |
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