Reduction of iron oxide (alpha-Fe2O3) with a hydrogen rich plasma produced by an Electron Cyclotron Wave Resonance source

IF 3.8 2区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Vacuum Pub Date : 2025-06-18 DOI:10.1016/j.vacuum.2025.114508

Marko Sikirić , Patrick Choquet , Adrian-Marie Philippe , Nathalie Valle , Kathryn Hadler , Andjelika Bjelajac , Jean-Baptiste Chemin , Joris Kadok , Simon Bulou

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Abstract

To establish a permanent settlement on the Moon, it is essential to find solutions for producing oxygen (O₂) and water (H₂O). One promising method is the in-situ production of H₂O through the thermal reduction of lunar regolith containing iron oxide (Fe₂O₃). This study explores the use of Electron Cyclotron Wave Resonance (ECWR) plasma for reducing Fe₂O₃, comparing its energy efficiency to traditional hydrogen (H₂) thermal reduction. Experiments were conducted using an H₂/Ar plasma mixture on Fe₂O₃ thin films at varying substrate temperatures and treatment times. Characterization techniques revealed a multilayer structure forming during the reduction, with a rapid transition to metallic iron (Fe) on the surface after 15 min of treatment. An intermediate Fe₃O₄ layer developed with extended reduction time, resulting in a distinct three-layered structure. Controlled heating above 200 °C significantly accelerated the reduction process while maintaining the same mechanism. Energy efficiency calculations indicate that H₂/Ar ECWR plasma can be up to six times more efficient than simple thermal reduction, highlighting its potential as an effective method for lunar oxygen production.

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用电子回旋波共振源产生的富氢等离子体还原氧化铁（α - fe2o3）

为了在月球上建立永久定居点，找到生产氧气（O2）和水（H2O）的解决方案至关重要。一种很有前途的方法是通过热还原含有氧化铁（Fe2O3）的月球风化层来原位生产水。本研究探索了利用电子回旋波共振（ECWR）等离子体还原Fe2O3，并将其能量效率与传统的氢（H2）热还原进行了比较。在不同的衬底温度和处理时间下，利用H2/Ar等离子体混合物在Fe2O3薄膜上进行了实验。表征技术表明，在还原过程中形成多层结构，处理15分钟后表面迅速转变为金属铁（Fe）。随着还原时间的延长，中间Fe3O4层逐渐形成，形成明显的三层结构。200°C以上的加热控制显著加速了还原过程，同时保持了相同的机理。能源效率计算表明，H2/Ar ECWR等离子体的效率是简单热还原的6倍，这凸显了它作为一种有效的月球氧气生产方法的潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Vacuum 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

17.50%

发文量

审稿时长

34 days

期刊介绍： Vacuum is an international rapid publications journal with a focus on short communication. All papers are peer-reviewed, with the review process for short communication geared towards very fast turnaround times. The journal also published full research papers, thematic issues and selected papers from leading conferences. A report in Vacuum should represent a major advance in an area that involves a controlled environment at pressures of one atmosphere or below. The scope of the journal includes: 1. Vacuum; original developments in vacuum pumping and instrumentation, vacuum measurement, vacuum gas dynamics, gas-surface interactions, surface treatment for UHV applications and low outgassing, vacuum melting, sintering, and vacuum metrology. Technology and solutions for large-scale facilities (e.g., particle accelerators and fusion devices). New instrumentation ( e.g., detectors and electron microscopes). 2. Plasma science; advances in PVD, CVD, plasma-assisted CVD, ion sources, deposition processes and analysis. 3. Surface science; surface engineering, surface chemistry, surface analysis, crystal growth, ion-surface interactions and etching, nanometer-scale processing, surface modification. 4. Materials science; novel functional or structural materials. Metals, ceramics, and polymers. Experiments, simulations, and modelling for understanding structure-property relationships. Thin films and coatings. Nanostructures and ion implantation.