Chemical Composition Analysis

Table 1 Comparison of bulk chemistry of Apollo 16 lunar highland soil and Sittampundi Anorthosite rock samples.

EDS point scans were performed to determine the chemical composition of the unreacted LRS-XJ particles and reaction products in the AALRS specimens

the chemical and mineral compositions of the TJ-CE5 simulant were analyzed using XRD and XRF, revealing a close similarity to the CE-5 returned samples.

The chemistry of the PBF-LB samples varied slightly with particle size, but it was more heavily influenced by whether the measurement was taken on the solid or pore wall material.

The pore walls were enriched in silicon, aluminum, and iron, and were depleted in oxygen, calcium, sodium (slightly), and magnesium, relative to the solid material.

The elevated ilmenite content represents an additional advantage of LuMBRA-PL1 for studies focused on in situ resource utilization, particularly the potential extraction of oxygen, iron, and titanium.

Table 1 Chemical component of Apollo 14 lunar soil, CAS-1, and HUST-1 LRS (%)