Planetary Simulant Database
Free Resource for Regolith Simulant Information
Mineralogy
| Component | Wt.% |
|---|---|
| Basalt | 93% |
| Magnetite | 4 |
| Hematite | 3% |
Bulk Chemistry
| Oxide | Wt.% |
|---|---|
| SiO2 | 43.94 |
| TiO2 | 2.70 |
| Al2O3 | 17.80 |
| Fe2O3 | 15.61 |
| MnO | 0.18 |
| MgO | 2.13 |
| CaO | 7.82 |
| Na2O | 5.58 |
| K2O | 2.96 |
| P2O5 | 0.99 |
| SO3 | 0.06 |
| Cl | 0.07 |
| Total | 99.84 |
Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Median grain size | 247.1 μm |
NEU Mars-1 Northeastern University Martian Soil Simulant
Simulant Name: NEU-1 Northeastern University Lunar Simulant
Availability: May Be Available
Fidelity: Standard
Developed By: Northeaster University, Shenyang, China
Available From: N/A
Publications: Guan, J. et al. (2020), Preparation and characterization of Martian soil simulant NEU Mars-1. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 30, 212-222
This simulant was prepared from iron-rich basalts of the Chahar volcanic group in Wulanchabu, Inner Mongolia. The basalt was dried, crushed and ball-milled then sieved to six size classes that were re-combined to create the desired particle size distribution. Magnetite and hematite were then added to the simulant as Fe and Ti oxides.
The main application of NEU Mars-1 is for testing oxygen and metal extraction for ISRU purposes.
It isn't clear how much simulant has been produced or what the availability is.
Images
SEM image of the NEU Mars-1 particle shapes, from Guan et al. 2020:
