Space Grant Consortium - University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

eneficiation reagents. Ionic liquids are stable in extreme temperatures and in a hard
vacuum. These characteristics make them ideal for space travel where the ionic liquid
will be subject to these conditions. Ionic liquids’ molecular structure can be altered to be
task specific. This provides versatility to the work that ionic liquids can do.
The use of ionic liquids in the production of oxygen from lunar regolith involves
three steps. The first is to alter the ionic liquid so it has the characteristics of an acid.
The ionic liquid is then used to break down the metal oxides into water and metal ions,
followed by distillation of the water. This is typically done at temperatures of about
150°C. Secondly, electrolysis is performed on the water to separate the hydrogen and
oxygen, and lastly, the ionic liquid is regenerated using the hydrogen generated from the
electrolysis.
In the electrolysis a platinum electrode is used due to its high conductivity and
resistance to corrosion. The hydrogen and oxygen production rates are directly
proportional to the electrode surface area. One method of increasing the surface area of
the electrode is by platinizing the electrode. This involves coating the electrode with a
layer of platinum black. Platinum black has a much higher true surface area than the
geometric surface area. In this study the effects of using a blackened platinum electrode
compared to an unblackened electrode are studied using cyclic voltammetry.
Experimental methods
Platinum foil was heated to 1000°C in a Fisher Isotemp Muffle Furnace to clean
the surface of the platinum of debris and organic material. The cleaned platinum was
fastened to a wire to create an electrode that would be used in testing.
Figure 1: Platinum foil is cleaned by heating to 1000°C.
The electrodes were placed in an aqueous solution of .072 mol/kg chloroplatinic
acid and .00013 mol/kg lead acetate. Two volts were run through the system for ten
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