NASA BIG Idea Project: Production of Steel from Lunar Regolith through Carbonyl Iron Refining (CIR)

Weber State University

Transporting equipment to the moon is extremely cost prohibitive and competition is fierce over a limited cargo volume. However, the moon’s surface is relatively rich in metals. Carbonyl Iron Refining (CIR) is a promising avenue to extract iron from reduced lunar regolith and refine it into a high purity powder product. The process is two-stage. First, iron oxide in lunar regolith is reduced with hydrogen or carbon monoxide. Second, the disparate iron particles are refined via the formation and subsequent decomposition of Fe(CO)5(g). Stand out characteristics of the concept are its native synergy with oxygen production and additive manufacturing and near total conservation of the reactive carbon monoxide gas.