Thermal Analysis of Acicular Shaped MagnetiteWe are in the process of developing a database on the thermal properties of well-characterized Martian analog materials in support of future Mars surface missions. The database contains the thermal behaviors of these analog materials under reduced and Earth ambient pressures. Magnetite in planetary materials has received considerable attention in recent years since the identification of fine grain single-domain magnetite in Martian meteorite ALH84001 and their possible link to past life on Mars (i.e., possible biominerals of magnetotactic bacteria). Because of its possible importance to Mars science, we report here the thermal properties of magnetite particles with acicular morphology, i.e., needle-shaped magnetite. Acicular shaped magnetite can be commercially produced from goethite (FeOOH) as the starting material via a H2 reduction process. However, instead of using this process or procedure, we report here on the thermal characterization of acicular magnetite formed under reducing conditions from well-characterized needle-shaped goethite at low temperature in controlled CO-CO2 1-bar atmosphere gas mixing furnaces.
Document ID
20030111429
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lauer, H. V., Jr. (Lockheed Martin Space Operations Houston, TX, United States)
Ming, D. W. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Golden, D. C. (Hernandez Engineering, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)