Radiation in Lunar Regolith

Virtually all the materials in the asteroids are useful. Even radioactive elements can
be used in instrumentation . The problem of separation is not an easy one. Inert
gasses are required as buffers to produce steel to contol oxygen exposure of the
metal while it's forming, so the large scale production of iron products in space will
require a source.

The gasses and particulates don't actually mix, so much as the outgassing process
expels the particles. When an asteroid is heated, it outgasses a lot at the specific
site to which heat is applied, and so as the water runs liquid or expands to steam it
physically pushes the particles across a wide spectrum of sizes.
Pumping off the volatiles yields a mixture of steam, gasses, and fine particles,
assuming larger particles are filtered out, that have to be separated by a
complicated series of physical and chemical processes. It can be done, but some
parts might be prohibitive.

Even so, I doubt the material would be thrown away, but rather the scrap would be
stored off station. It can be used later as the capabilities of the processing facility
are increased later to use the raw materials at hand. Virtually all of it can be used.

Date sent: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 20:54:09 -0000
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> --- In ssi_list@... "Dan St. Sauveur"
> >
> > Assuming that asteroidal materials are used, there will be some
> noble gasses, not
> > just radon, when the volatiles are leached out, some portion of
> which will be
> > radioactive.
>
> Any naturally occuring radioactive gases will have probably
> disapated into the vacuum.
>
> I'd be interested in seeing the proportion of radioactive particles
> in the volitile gas though.
>
> We just have to plan for it accordingly.
>
> TangoMan
>

danst@...
The horse, the original in 4x4 off road recreation.