Enhancing oxygen recovery from ilmenite by extended milling

The generally accepted method for recovering oxygen on an extraterrestrial body is by thermally induced reduction of indigenous minerals by hydrogen. The most amenable mineral is considered to be ilmenite, FeTiO3. The effect of up to 400 h ball milling on the subsequent hydrogen reduction of a terrestrial beach sand derived ilmenite is examined. XRD examination of the final powders indicates that reduction of ilmenite proceeds via elemental iron and rutile which is then further reduced to sub-oxides. The recovery of oxygen as water was found to be over two and a half times greater for a sample milled for 400 h than for an unmilled sample.