Prof. Inge Bellemans receives ERC Starting Grant

This project investigates how metal, oxygen and cement can be produced from lunar dust to build a permanent lunar base, avoiding the high transport costs from Earth. Traditional methods of metal extraction, such as using coke and hydrogen, are difficult to apply on the moon because these substances would also need to be transported. A promising solution is high-temperature electrolysis, in which electricity from solar panels can be used to produce not only metal but also oxygen and cement without additional substances from Earth. This method is waste-free and all products are useful for a lunar base. Because conditions on the moon, such as lower gravity and atmospheric pressure, are different from those on Earth, it is important to extensively research and optimise this technique. This is done by combining experiments under terrestrial and simulations under lunar conditions. With our group focusing on determining material properties at high temperatures and the high temperature process. Besides its use on the moon, this technique is also promising for the green transition on Earth, as it offers an alternative to carbon-based methods that emit a lot of CO2. Instead of using hydrogen, high-temperature electrolysis avoids the intermediate step from electricity to hydrogen, and produces oxygen instead of CO2, offering significant advantages for environmentally friendly metal production.