How to break down crystal structure with heating?

[Roadam]

How much heat energy would one need to break down some mineral to single elements. On example Iron Titanium Oxide(FeTiO3).

[HydrogenBond]

It depends how one goes about it. For example, a crystal of sodium chloride can be broken down to individual ions by placing it in water. The solution will get cold as it absorbs energy. This energy will be much less than if we directly heat the salt crystal until it melts, vaporizes and then separates into ions.

[Roadam]

I was thinking about heating directly.

[Mercedes Benzene]

In short: A hell-of-a-lot of energy. I mean... seriously.
It would (in most cases) be a MUCH higher temperature than its melting point... which is also extremely high. Check out a CRC handbook for more specific answers

[KickAssClown]

I've always wondered could you manipulate a material, such that it's melting point drops and it releases certain bonds, through things like Harmonics and Magnetic Field Emersion?

If you Vibrated the Crystal Latice at resonance Frequency, and then Heated it, would that affect it's boiling point?

[Mercedes Benzene]

hmmmm.... good ideas KickAss....
I would like an expert on this matter to come to this thread!

[Roadam]

Well I know that much energy is needed, but I was thinking about astronauts melting something with parabolic mirror on the lunar surface.

[Jay-qu]

Ilmenite (Iron Titanium oxide) is rather straight forward to seperate. Add hydrogen and heat. This produces Iron, Titanium Oxide and water. The water can be electrolysed to get Oxygen and Hydrogen, the hydrogen can be fed back into the initial seperation so that a constant source of oxygen is produced.

The Titanium Oxide can also be split to get more Oxygen (and pure Titanium), but it takes a bit more energy.

And yes it has been thought of that the heat for the initial seperation could be obtained from large mirrors on the lunar surface, how large I do not know.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Pretty powerful mirrors have been made... whether any could melt something on the moon.... who knows?
I do know that designs have been made to protect the earth from rogue asteroids, but this just uses energy to "push" the asteroid away... not melt them.

[Jay-qu]

dont know about power of mirrors.. basically if it refects well (99%) then it comes down to size and how well it focuses light.