Modeling of in-situ ilmenite beneficiation under lunar conditions

Addressing the challenge of efficient ilmenite beneficiation under extreme lunar conditions, this study investigates the applicability and key influencing factors of triboelectric separation technology, providing a feasible solution for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon. Utilizing lunar regolith simulants (ilmenite, pyroxene, plagioclase, glass, and olivine), the optimal tribocharging materials (Al, Cu, PI, PTFE) were selected based on charge-to-mass ratio measurements. COMSOL-based numerical simulations were conducted to compare the effects of Earth and lunar environments (gravity, vacuum) on separation performance, with optimized electric field parameters. The results indicate that PTFE and Al significantly enhance the differentiation of ilmenite from other lunar minerals. The Moon’s vacuum and low-gravity conditions improve particle separation efficiency. A unipolar inclined electrode configuration with enhanced electric field intensity enables high-efficiency ilmenite enrichment.