This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (6 messages)
Hello John. Naturally, the use of plants for removal of CO2 was the first scheme considered. However, even in this scheme, CaO is a useful material to have for other uses besides CO2 removal. Someone has asked me to consider the fact that plants can get a large portion of…
Hello Doug. Thank you, that is a scenario that I had considered. However, in this case, I was wondering if there was a way to obtain CaO from strictly native materials. This would save the energy cost of ""importing" material which was already at hand, since, like on Earth, Ca…
Hello John. While not as readily reactive as LiOH, the Ca(OH)2 formed by the addition of CaO to water should make a useful agent for removing CO2 from a lunar habitat's atmosphere, treating habitat sewage, and other purposes. The actual chemical uses I'm interested in are for Ca(OH)2. However, I'm…
Hello Lanny. True enough. However, that natural process Doug described is only useful (or similar to non-volcanic geologic processes) over a relatively small range of temperatures. As for solar funraces, I discussed this problem with a friend, who recommended using a solar furnace (under lunar conditions, of course) for fractional…
Hello Doug. Thank you for your two suggestions. Unfortunately, I can only use one of them. In the chemistry of lunar rocks, not only water but carbon (and thus CO3) is depleted. Thus, there is no CaCO3 on the moon. While there may be minerals there which react similarly, my…
#Lunar Quicklime
Message #135112
Hello All. Can anyone suggest someone to e-mail to for help in finding processes by which quicklime might be extracted from minerals which are not generally considered commercial sources, such as calcic plagioclase feldspars, calcic pyroxenes, or even basalt? I'm looking for a means of extracting quicklime from lunar rock…