Thermal volatilization studies on lunar samples.

Abstract

The results of thermal volatilization studies on lunar basalts, breccias, and soils, carried out to measure the depletion of selected elemental abundances during heating under vacuum, are evaluated. The kinetics of K, Rb, and Pb loss are found to be sufficiently fast to permit vaporization and loss of these elements during the production of impact glasses. There is little probability that lunar basalt flows have lost a significant percentage of K, Rb, and Na by volatilization, unless the flow is extensively stirred. The uniformly low Na concentrations of mare basalts cannot be attributed to post eruption vaporization and loss on Na.