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tahanson43206

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Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

element separation using magnetic force on the Moon

For SpaceNut ... as a reminder, this forum includes a post about a presentation on element separation using magnetic force on the Moon. The post is about a presentation at the North Houston chapter of the National Space Society on a design for lunar mining developed by a team at the University of Texas El Paso.

The advantage of such a system on the Moon is the availability of high quality vacuum to facilitate (or not interfere with) the travel of atoms from an arc at the surface of the regolith toward collecting buckets under the influence of magnetic fields. 

This system would NOT seem helpful on Earth, but I bring it up because the Universe provides LOTS of vacuum for future Earth citizens to exploit.

(th)

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: element separation using magnetic force on the Moon

Lunar separation occurs without any water so dry that that heat is added and electrical currents are used to set up magnetic properties of a material type.

https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/miner … 1598518288
A Novel Pneumatic Planar Magnetic Separator for Magnetite Beneficiation: A Focus on Flowsheet Configuration

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2109/2109.02201.pdf
Mineral Processing and Metal Extraction on the Lunar Surface - Challenges and Opportunities

https://lunarpedia.org/w/Iron_Beneficiation

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/file … s_char.pdf
Lunar Regolith Simulant Mineral Processing and Characterization.

the currie temperature will mean that any magnetic materials will lose the magnetic properties as well.