Back to results
US 2025/0084553 A1Published application
Method And System For Molten Oxide Electrolysis
AssigneeLunar Resources, Inc.
InventorsElliot F. Carol, Matthew S. Humbert, Alex Ignatiev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for molten electrolysis includes a molten electrolyte reactor, a silicon refiner reactor, and an aluminum refiner reactor to accommodate the extraction of metals and oxygen from metal oxide feedstock. The reactor systems, designed to operate in the vacuum environment of the Moon, incorporate heat sources to melt the metal oxide feedstock, anodes and cathodes to support electrolysis, systems interconnecting the reactors, and systems allowing for removal of materials from the reactors.
Claims39
A system for molten electrolysis extraction of oxygen and metals from metal oxide feedstock, comprising:
- a molten electrolyte reactor which comprises at least one heat source to initially melt a metal oxide feedstock, at least one anode, at least one cathode, and through an electrolysis reaction the molten electrolyte reactor produces at least an electrochemically extracted metal, a liquid metal oxide slag, and oxygen gas;
- a silicon refiner reactor in fluid communication with the molten electrolyte reactor to receive at least a portion of the electrochemically extracted metal containing as a minimum silicon metal from the molten electrolyte reactor, the silicon refiner reactor including at least one heat source, at least one anode, at least one cathode and through an electrolysis reaction produces at least substantially pure liquid silicon;
- and
- an aluminum refiner reactor in fluid communication with the molten electrolyte reactor to receive at least a portion of the liquid metal oxide slag from the molten electrolyte reactor, the aluminum refiner reactor including at least one heat source, at least one anode, at least one cathode, and through an electrolysis reaction produces at least substantially pure liquid aluminum and oxygen gas.
1 more element
A method for molten electrolysis of metal oxides comprising:
- providing a molten electrolyte reactor which reactor comprises at least one heat source, at least one anode, at least one cathode, and a quantity of metal oxide feedstock disposed within the molten electrolyte reactor;
- operating the at least one heat source to melt the quantity of metal oxide feedstock into at least a quantity of molten metal oxide within the molten electrolyte reactor;
- applying a voltage to the at least one anode and the at least one cathode to force a current to pass between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode and through the molten metal oxide, to produce at least an electrochemically extracted metal, a liquid metal oxide slag, and oxygen gas;
- providing a silicon refiner reactor which comprises at least one heat source, at least one anode, and at least one cathode;
- disposing the silicon refiner reactor in fluid communication with the molten electrolyte reactor to receive at least a portion of the electrochemically extracted metal from the molten electrolyte reactor;
- operating the at least one heat source in the silicon refiner reactor to melt at least a portion of the electrochemically extracted metal;
- applying a voltage to the at least one anode and cathode of the silicon refiner reactor to force a current to pass between the at least one anode and cathode and through the molten electrochemically extracted metal in the silicon refiner reactor, to produce at least substantially pure liquid silicon plus other possible metal;
- providing an aluminum refiner reactor, which comprises at least one heat source, at least one anode, at least one cathode;
- disposing the aluminum refiner reactor in fluid communication with the molten electrolyte reactor to receive at least a portion of the metal oxide slag produced by the molten electrolyte reactor;
- operating the at least one heat source in the aluminum refiner reactor to melt at least a portion of the metal oxide slag;
- and
- applying a voltage to the at least one anode and cathode of the aluminum refiner reactor to force a current to pass through the melted metal oxide slag to produce at least substantially pure liquid aluminum and oxygen gas.
9 more elements
An aluminum refiner reactor, comprising:
- a housing with an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface, wherein the inner wall surface comprises a layer of a thermal insulation material that defines an internal reaction volume space within the housing for an electrolysis reaction, wherein the internal reaction volume space is separated into two separate hermetically isolated volumes;
- at least one anode disposed within the housing with at least a portion of the at least one anode held in a first of the two separate hermetically isolated volumes;
- at least one cathode disposed within the housing with at least a portion of the at least one anode held in a second of the two separate hermetically isolated volumes;
- and
- at least one heat source disposed within the housing of the aluminum refiner reactor with at least a portion of the at least one heat source of the aluminum refiner reactor disposed within the internal reaction volume space of the reactor.
2 more elements
A method for molten electrolysis of a metal oxide slag comprising:
- disposing a metal oxide slag into an internal reaction volume space of an aluminum refiner reactor;
- operating at least one heat source of the aluminum refiner reactor to melt at least a portion of the metal oxide slag;
- and
- applying a voltage to at least one anode and at least one cathode of the aluminum refiner reactor to force a current to pass through the melted metal oxide slag to produce at least substantially pure liquid aluminum and oxygen gas.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.