Hydrogen Plasma Reduction of Lunar Regolith for In-Space Fabrication, Phase I

Tools for extracting resources from the moon are needed to support future space missions. Of particular interest is the production of raw materials for in-space fabrication. In addition, oxygen and water for habitat and propulsion purposes is needed. The only practical source for these materials is the decomposition of lunar soil, regolith. Proposed herein is an innovative hydrogen plasma reduction technique for the production of nanosize metal powders and water from lunar regolith. This technique is characterized by its high temperatures and rapid quenching. Due to the extremely high temperatures involved, material injected into the plasma flame can be vaporized and dissociated very rapidly into elemental form. Rapid quenching of the vapor prevents the growth of nucleated products while providing insufficient time for them to recombine with the oxygen. This allows the possibility of producing nanosize metal powders and the generation of water vapor. The result of this program will be the development of a lunar regolith hydrogen plasma reduction method for producing nanosize metal powders for in-space fabrication and water vapor for life-support, habitat, and propulsion use.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications: Potential commercial applications for nano-size metal powders include powder metallurgical products, ultra-thin protective coatings, high surface area/volume ratio catalysts, composite additives, sintering aids, porous structures in microfiltration membranes, additives for solid and hybrid rocket fuels that provide a more efficient combustion process, electrically-conductive adhesives and polymers, component materials for aerospace vehicles, lighter and more reliable satellite structures (decreasing launch cost), smaller, faster, more powerful semiconductor devices, high power, high temperature microwave electronic devices offering improvements to radar and wireless communication, and high-power electronics for electric vehicles. Potential applications for the plasma technology to be developed include high rate plasma coating production of nano-grain-size parts and hazardous waste disposal. Commercial applications for an improved plasma gun will be significant for this $1 billion industry.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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