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Title: CONCENTRATION OF LUNAR PLAGIOCLASE FOR SOLAR CELLS FABRICATION. AN ISRU CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURE
CONCENTRATION OF LUNAR PLAGIOCLASE FOR SOLAR CELLS FABRICATION. AN ISRU CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURE

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Gustavo Jamanca-Lino
10.5593/sgem2023/6.1/s28.54
10.5593/sgem2023/6.1
1314-2704
978-619-7603-61-3
English
23
6.1
•    Prof. DSc. Oleksandr Trofymchuk, UKRAINE 
•    Prof. Dr. hab. oec. Baiba Rivza, LATVIA
Space Technologies and Planetary Science
Because of the incoming mission of Artemis on the Moon, the extraction of water, oxygen, and metal from the lunar regolith is necessary, which involves intensive power requirements. To keep a mining unit operation running continuously, a technical solution known as the Tall Lunar Tower (TLT) claims to be able to capture sunlight 93% of the time through a solar panel structure. The composition of a typical panel is 76% glass, 10% polymer, 8% aluminum, 5% pure silicon, and 1% other metals. Fortunately, we just need to transport polymers, wire, and minor components from Earth because the regolith on the Moon contains large amounts of silicon and aluminum oxides. This article presents an ISRU architecture to provide plagioclase ore concentrate, the main mineral for the extraction of aluminum and silicon, detailing aspects such as the engineering challenges and the technological solutions for excavation, transport, and processing; all these calculations are based on a hypothetical construction and deployment of TLT at the South Pole. Processing techniques such as screening and magnetic separation are discussed to evaluate their advantages and drawbacks to obtain a concentrate of 70% plagioclase with 18% of global recovery.
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conference
https://doi.org/10.5593/sgem2023/6.1/s28.54
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Proceedings of 23rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2023
23rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2023, 03 - 09 July, 2023
Proceedings Paper
STEF92 Technology
International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM
SWS Scholarly Society; Acad Sci Czech Republ; Latvian Acad Sci; Polish Acad Sci; Serbian Acad Sci and Arts; Natl Acad Sci Ukraine; Natl Acad Sci Armenia; Sci Council Japan; European Acad Sci, Arts and Letters; Acad Fine Arts Zagreb Croatia; Croatian Acad Sci and Arts; Acad Sci Moldova; Montenegrin Acad Sci and Arts; Georgian Acad Sci; Acad Fine Arts and Design Bratislava; Turkish Acad Sci.
431-438
03 - 09 July, 2023
website
9266
ISRU, space mining, lunar metals, lunar plagioclase, Tall lunar tower

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