Industrial Scale Production of Celestial Body Simulants

As detailed in the phase 2 proposal, ZAP has identified 6 significant commercial applications for the technologies used to manufacture lunar simulant components. These include: precious metal recovery from ore (using agglutinate plasma reactor), synthetic mineral production for catalysts, high surface area milling for improved platinum extraction, mineral liberation with AIR mill, improved abrasive materials for optic polishing, and environmentally-friendly glass melting. ZAP is working with industrial customers for all of these applications. In addition to the current active commercial interest, future applications for the process include: Zero valent iron in agglutinate for groundwater remediation, synthetic minerals for research accelerators, nano-scale MoOx for Li-Ion batteries, and thermal metal beneficiation. There is always favorable tax payer sentiment for space technologies that are transferred to practical commercial applications. The extensive media coverage ZAP has recently received for this program is aiding in finding these commercial opportunities.

ZAP has firsthand knowledge of an increasing number of groups trying to purchase simulant from ZAP or requesting that ZAP process their specialty feedstock. Specialty requests are increasing because ZAP has become known in the community but more importantly because researchers and engineers are unable to obtain lunar simulant in quantity or within their schedule or budget. Supplies are depleted. Unfortunately, many requests go unfilled. This proposal will have direct benefit to NASA centers and Directorates as well as to research institutions and private companies. ZAP has provided samples at no charge to four different NASA centers. In addition NASA contractors ranging from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Research (LASP), National Lunar Science Institute to SBIR research contracts have requested lunar simulants in various quantities. More »