[Gadgest] Scientists show that it is possible to extract water from lunar soil using microwaves

[Draeno]

 

Scientists have extensive evidence of the existence of water on the Moon. However, it exists in the form of ice mixed with regolith. Researchers have learned how to extract water from lunar soil using a microwave.

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UK and US scientists have shown that it is possible to extract water from lunar soil in two experiments. To do this, they used two types of artificial regolith.

The first test used regolith, created from samples taken from the lunar highlands. It was mixed with water at a ratio of 3-15% and placed in a chamber that simulated lunar temperature and pressure.

The resulting artificial regolith was exposed to microwaves of only 250 W for 25 minutes. This is not even enough to heat food in the microwave. As a result of the experiment, the researchers extracted more than 67% of the water stored in the soil.

The second type of artificial regolith simulated the dark soil of lunar maria. It was subjected to 25 minutes of microwave exposure, which allowed 50% of the water to be extracted. Scientists point out that heating it for 35 minutes allows extracting up to 90% of the water.

Interestingly, the higher the concentration of water in the regolith, the lower the success rate of the experiment. As the water content increased, the extraction rate dropped to 32%. According to the researchers, this is due to the increased distance between dust particles, which reduces heat transfer.

Source: New Atlas

 

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