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<p>In-situ manufacturing and resource utilization on the lunar surface present a core challenge for establishing a sustainable lunar base, where the self-sufficiency of metal materials is particularly critical. Therefore, this study presented a novel method for extracting metallic iron from Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> via laser vacuum (1.0 × 10<sup>− 3</sup> Pa) high-temperature (1930&#xa0;K to 2360&#xa0;K) decomposition, which could serve as a reference for in-situ metal extraction on the Moon. First, the feasibility of this approach was verified through thermodynamic calculations. Subsequently, the effects of laser power and irradiation time on the vacuum smelting process of Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the content of metallic iron in the product reached its maximum value (31.71%) at a laser power of 800&#xa0;W and an irradiation time of 4&#xa0;min. Furthermore, the distribution, morphology, and particle size of metallic iron in the product were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. The metallic iron was primarily enriched in the lower region of the product, presenting as aggregates of irregular fine particles. The particle size distribution was predominantly in the range of 10 to 100&#xa0;μm (98%), with minor amounts in the 100 to 200&#xa0;μm (1%) and 200 to 500&#xa0;μm (1%) ranges.</p>

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Laser thermal decomposition of Fe3O4 to metallic iron under vacuum: experimental and thermodynamic investigation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月23日

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  • Xiaohu Zhang,
  • Guangshi Li,
  • Wenyu Xie,
  • Changyuan Li,
  • Zhongya Pang,
  • Xingli Zou,
  • Qian Xu,
  • Xionggang Lu

摘要

In-situ manufacturing and resource utilization on the lunar surface present a core challenge for establishing a sustainable lunar base, where the self-sufficiency of metal materials is particularly critical. Therefore, this study presented a novel method for extracting metallic iron from Fe3O4 via laser vacuum (1.0 × 10− 3 Pa) high-temperature (1930 K to 2360 K) decomposition, which could serve as a reference for in-situ metal extraction on the Moon. First, the feasibility of this approach was verified through thermodynamic calculations. Subsequently, the effects of laser power and irradiation time on the vacuum smelting process of Fe3O4 were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the content of metallic iron in the product reached its maximum value (31.71%) at a laser power of 800 W and an irradiation time of 4 min. Furthermore, the distribution, morphology, and particle size of metallic iron in the product were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. The metallic iron was primarily enriched in the lower region of the product, presenting as aggregates of irregular fine particles. The particle size distribution was predominantly in the range of 10 to 100 μm (98%), with minor amounts in the 100 to 200 μm (1%) and 200 to 500 μm (1%) ranges.