Overview
Overview
Lunar mare simulant Black Point One (BP-1) was discovered during a Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) analog test and was collected from a road metal quarry in the Black Point basalt flow in San Francisco Volcanic Field, in northern Arizona[1]. BP-1 was not further processed or modified after its collection from the quarry washing waste, but it has very similar physical properties to lunar soil. The University of Central Florida Planetary Simulant Database contains additional details concerning BP-1. BP-1 is classified as having "basic" fidelity based on the Planetary Simulant Database's loose guidelines for fidelity.
Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons
Pros
Pros
- Rough and angular particle shape[2]
- Geotechnical properties: mechanical behavior in vibratory densification and shear testing similar to lunar soil, NU-LHT-2M[1][2] and CHENOBI[2]
- BP-1 falls within one standard deviation range of the lunar regolith particle size distribution[2]
Cons
Cons
- Mineralogy and chemistry: high plagioclase content relative to lunar mare basalt
- Particle distribution somewhat unusual with a narrow peak of high relative abundance of 100 microns particles with presence of large particles (1mm–1cm)[1]
General Properties
General Properties
_Fig._13.png)
Particle size distribution of lunar soil, JSC-1A, and BP-1 soil. Lunar soil and JSC-1A data following Zeng et al (2009) and BP-1 data and figure following Rahmatian and Metzger (2010)[2]
General Properties
General Properties
| Particle Shape Range | Particle Size Range (μm) | Mean Particle Size (μm) |
|---|---|---|
| irregular and angular | 1 - 10,000 | 100 |
| Particle Size Distribution (by site/sample) | Chemical Composition (by sample/site) | Mineralogical Composition |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Texture |
|---|
| - |
Modal Mineralogy
Modal Mineralogy
| Mineral | Abundance (%)[1] |
|---|---|
| Labradorite | 60.7 |
| Augite | 23.7 |
| Olivine | 6.2 |
| Magnetite | 3.0 |
| Calcite | 2.7 |
| Hematite | 2.0 |
| Quartz | 1.7 |
Major Element Chemistry
*Two samples from the west and east of the flow
Major Element Chemistry
*Two samples from the west and east of the flow
| Oxide | BP-1 avg of 5 samples wt. %[1] |
W172158 wt. %*[1] | W172154 wt. %*[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 44 | 47.2 | 46.9 |
| TiO2 | - | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Al2O3 | 17 | 16.7 | 16.4 |
| FeO | - | 6.2 | 3.7 |
| Fe2O3 | 11 | 5.9 | 8.2 |
| MgO | 8 | 6.5 | 5.6 |
| CaO | 14 | 9.2 | 9.6 |
| Na2O | 3 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| K2O | 0 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| MnO | - | 0.21 | 0.21 |
| P2O5 | - | 0.52 | 0.51 |
| H2O- | - | 0.11 | 0.51 |
| H2O+ | - | 0.41 | 0.69 |
| CO2 | 3 | 0.05 | 0.26 |
| Total | 100 | 99.90 | 99.28 |
Geomechanical and Physical Properties
Geomechanical and Physical Properties
Geomechanical Properties
Geomechanical Properties
| Hardness (Mohs scale) | Specific Gravity (g/cm3) | Angle of Repose (°) | Void Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5 | 2.81[3] | Angular, elongated grain morphology creates high angle of repose in large piles | 0.49-0.965[3] |
| Density (g/cm3) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | Relative Max | Relative Min | |
| 1.5-1.6[2] | 1.86[3] | 1.43[3] | |
| Triaxial: Shear Strength | Uniaxial | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cohesion (kPa) | Friction Angle (°) | Young's Modulus (MPa) | Tensile Strength (kPa) |
| 0-2.0[3] | 39-51[3] | - | - |
Simulant Development
Lab Analytical Results
Simulant Development
Lab Analytical Results
Pending analyses.
Safety
Safety
Please view the BP-1 Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for specifications, PPE requirements, and hazards.
Recommendation
Recommendation
Excavation / Flow
Excavation / Flow
Recommended
PSD and angular, elongated grain morphology are suitable to create high angle of repose. Adequate basalt mineralogy. Similarly to other simulants, care must be taken to avoid over compaction compared to lunar regolith.
PSD and angular, elongated grain morphology are suitable to create high angle of repose. Adequate basalt mineralogy. Similarly to other simulants, care must be taken to avoid over compaction compared to lunar regolith.
Drilling
Drilling
Recommended (Dry)
Angular elongated grain shapes and PSD create abrasive material of adequate mineralogy.
Angular elongated grain shapes and PSD create abrasive material of adequate mineralogy.
Potentially suitable (hydrated)
Presence of halite (1-5 wt.%) and bassanite (1-3 wt. %) may affect studies with ice regolith mix due to changes in chemical reactivity.
Presence of halite (1-5 wt.%) and bassanite (1-3 wt. %) may affect studies with ice regolith mix due to changes in chemical reactivity.
Abrasion / Wear
Abrasion / Wear
Recommended
Angular elongated grain shapes and PSD create abrasive material of adequate mineralogy. Presence of quartz (1-2 wt.%) and calcite (2-3 wt.%) may affect overall hardness of some test samples.
Angular elongated grain shapes and PSD create abrasive material of adequate mineralogy. Presence of quartz (1-2 wt.%) and calcite (2-3 wt.%) may affect overall hardness of some test samples.
Oxygen Production
Oxygen Production
Potentially suitable (caution)
Higher alkali content (Na2O+K2O) than lunar basalts may change O2 yields. Potential problems from presence of Cl (Halite) and S (Bassanite) for volatiles processing and O2 extraction process (reactivity, contamination of products, reactions with hardware). Plagioclase and olivine amounts vary greatly between whole shipments and samples of fines and should be verified prior to use. Thermophysical properties not yet characterized.
Higher alkali content (Na2O+K2O) than lunar basalts may change O2 yields. Potential problems from presence of Cl (Halite) and S (Bassanite) for volatiles processing and O2 extraction process (reactivity, contamination of products, reactions with hardware). Plagioclase and olivine amounts vary greatly between whole shipments and samples of fines and should be verified prior to use. Thermophysical properties not yet characterized.
Human Health Studies
Human Health Studies
Potentially suitable (dust mitigation for habitats)
Adequate presence of fines and overall PSD and grain shapes but the presence of weathered minerals may alter dust behavior with other materials when compared to lunar fines.
Adequate presence of fines and overall PSD and grain shapes but the presence of weathered minerals may alter dust behavior with other materials when compared to lunar fines.
Potentially unsuitable (biological studies)
Presence of quartz (1-2 wt.%), bassanite (1-3 wt.%) and halite (1-5 wt. %) introduce potential reactivity not representative of lunar samples. Concentrations of secondary minerals is high (9-24%) in <10 μm samples.
Presence of quartz (1-2 wt.%), bassanite (1-3 wt.%) and halite (1-5 wt. %) introduce potential reactivity not representative of lunar samples. Concentrations of secondary minerals is high (9-24%) in <10 μm samples.
Metal Production
Metal Production
Potentially suitable (caution)
Metal oxide composition is representative of high Ti mare basalts although with higher alkali content. Significant variations exist in olivine (8-14 wt.%) and calcite (0-9 wt.%) between shipments. Potential unwanted reactions from presence of Cl (Halite), S (Bassanite), and calcite in metal production. Thermophysical properties not yet characterized.
Metal oxide composition is representative of high Ti mare basalts although with higher alkali content. Significant variations exist in olivine (8-14 wt.%) and calcite (0-9 wt.%) between shipments. Potential unwanted reactions from presence of Cl (Halite), S (Bassanite), and calcite in metal production. Thermophysical properties not yet characterized.
Mineral Processing
Mineral Processing
Potentially suitable
PSD and grain shape suitable for size sorting.
PSD and grain shape suitable for size sorting.
Not recommended (benefaction)
Presence of quartz, hematite, bassanite, and halite and variability in olivine and calcite and may lead to unreliable results. variations in mineral composition between samples should be verified.
Presence of quartz, hematite, bassanite, and halite and variability in olivine and calcite and may lead to unreliable results. variations in mineral composition between samples should be verified.
Construction
Construction
Potentially suitable
Adequate grain size, shape, distribution, and basaltic mineralogy are suitable. Presence of calcite may affect reactivity with other components.
Adequate grain size, shape, distribution, and basaltic mineralogy are suitable. Presence of calcite may affect reactivity with other components.
Availability
Availability
BP-1 is currently available at the JSC Simulant Development Laboratory in bulk quantities.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Stoeser, D. B., Rickman, D. L., & Wilson, S. (2010). Preliminary geological findings on the BP-1 simulant.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Rahmatian, L. A., & Metzger, P. T. (2010). Soil test apparatus for lunar surfaces. In Earth and Space 2010: Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments (pp. 239-253).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Suescun-Florez, E., Roslyakov, S., Iskander, M., & Baamer, M. (2015). Geotechnical properties of BP-1 lunar regolith simulant. Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 28(5), 04014124.