Vacuum Thermal Sublimation for Metal Production from Lunar Regolith

The field of astrometallurgy, the mineral processing and production of metals from extra-terrestrial sources for use in space, is a complex new field of study. This thesis outlines in detail the challenges and opportunities inherent in resource extraction from lunar soil or regolith. A vacuum sublimation process, taking advantage of the natural vacuum in space, is proposed for the reduction of metals from lunar regolith. The process is modelled in detail from a thermodynamic perspective, as well as a kinetic perspective. Finally, a laboratory demonstration is presented of the sublimation of oxides using concentrated solar energy under high vacuum conditions.