Bootstrap Mission Chemistry - 101

Sabatier Reactors (Methane Production up to 96% efficiency)
(CFM p155)
36cm x 5cm dia filled with Ru Ruthenium or Ni Nickel
Nichrome heating wires
Condensing system to separate H2O from CH4 and CO
Condensing system to separate CH4 from CO
Exothermic reaction starts and sustains at 400 degrees Celsius
3CO2 + 6H2 => CH4 + 2CO + 4H2O
Condense out 4H2O
Condense out CH4
When the H2O is electrolyzed and the H2 is cycled back into the reactor while the O2 is trapped in it’s tank, this yields a 4:1 CH4 to O2 ratio and an over all 18:1 for CH4 to H2 (seed quantity brought from earth).
The remaining CO is available for other uses.

H2O Electrolyzer
25cm tall, 3kg
2H2O => 2H2 + O2

CO2 Pyrolizer
2CO2 => 2CO + O2
The CO can be directly used for the Iron-Carbonyl process or vented overboard. The O2 is collected.

ISPP Sabatier estimate
3@ 1m x 12cm

Sabatier Reactors (Ethylene production)
Reactor 1 Endothermic 400 C Iron-Chrome catalyst
6H2 + 2CO2 +> 2H2O + 2CO + 4H2
Condense out 2H2O

Reactor 2 Exothermic 400 C Iron-based catalyst
2CO + 4H2 +> C2H4 + 2H2O
Condense out 2H2O
Condense out C2H4
(Note: Reactor 2 heats reactor 1)
(Note: 2CO can also be drawn from Methane production - both exothermic)

Sabatier Reactors (Polyethylene Production)
The catalyst is TiCl4 with Al(C2H5)2, or TiCl3 with Al(C2H5)2Cl.
Its input is the partial output of the ethylene sabatier tubes.
m[C2H4] => [CH2]n (CH2=CH2 => -CH2-CH2-CH2-...-CH2-CH2-)
It takes some heat but not a lot.
Polyethylene can be formed and reformed by heating (thermoplastic) Before this catalyst the process took quite a bit of heat, and a lot of pressure to slowly happen, but now we can do it at much lower pressures, and not excessive heat.
I (Jim Brown) am working on those details, but we can make as much as we like with little care, and it can be automatic. With a 100 # setup we should get 40 # a day of polyethylene.

Polypropylene
[C2H3CH3]n

Polymethyl methacrylate (Plexiglas)
[CH2C(CH3)(COOCH3)]n
Has high UV resistance

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
[CH2-CHCl]n
Used as high-density rigid foam
Has the same weight as softwoods.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)
[CF2CF2]n


Caffeine
(C8H10N4O2)

Iron Refinement
3Fe2O3 + 9CO +> 6Fe + 9CO2 leaving metallic Iron
(((3Fe2O3 + CO +>2Fe3O4 + CO2)))
(((Fe3O4 + CO +> 3FeO + CO2)))
(((FeO + CO +> Fe + CO2)))
Leaving metallic Iron would require some form of electromagnetic separator or rake to remove the Fe from the regolith.

Carbonyl
However, using Iron Carbonyl production, the Iron is drawn off as a carbonyl vapor. So actually, we do not need an electromagnet... unrefined regolith goes in (maybe sorted by particle size) the mix is heated to 120° C with CO and the pressure is raised a bar or two. The gas is drawn off leaving the SiO2, CaO, etc all as they were. The gas is depressurized and cooled with the Fe(CO)5 condensing out for our use!!

Iron Carbonyl Production
Fe + 5CO => Fe(CO)5 120° C liquid, vaporizes at modest pressures

Iron Deposition from Iron Carbonyl
Fe(CO)5 => Fe + 5CO at 200° C.


Mars-Crete
Gypsum (CaSO4 * 2H2O)
Gypsum is used for plaster and can be baked to yield Lime.
If we have separated out the Fe2O3 iron oxide (17% of soil by VIKING) and also the SiO2 (40% by VIKING), The calcium is there (5% by VIKING) in the form of various oxides mixed with some clays and frost.
CFM p 184

Baking the leftover regolith (minus Fe2O3 and SiO2) and powderizing the remainder leaves what can be combined with water to make a crude mortar.
Add Lime (CaO) to the mortar and you have Portland Cement.
It will not be a simple evolution to establish the Davis Cement factory at the Nos Martiani settlement, but "long haul" it can be done.


Atmospheric composition
Carbon Dioxide (C02)-- 95.32%
Nitrogen (N2) -------- 2.7%
Argon (Ar) ----------- 1.6%
Oxygen (O2) ---------- 0.13%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) - 0.07%
Water (H2O) ---------- 0.03%
Neon (Ne) ------------ 0.00025%
Krypton (Kr) --------- 0.00003%
Xenon (Xe) ----------- 0.000008%
Ozone (O3) ----------- 0.000003%

Which totals 99.850291% for those interested ;)

after you extract the 95% CO2 to voume percentages shift up dramatically.

PROCESSED ATMOSHPERE
Carbon Dioxide (C02) - 6.59%
Nitrogen (N2) -------- 55.67%
Argon (Ar) ----------- 32.99%
Oxygen (O2) ---------- 2.68%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) - 1.44%
Water (H2O) ---------- 0.618520%
Neon (Ne) ------------ 0.005154%
Krypton (Kr) --------- 0.000619%
Xenon (Xe) ----------- 0.000165%
Ozone (O3) ----------- 0.000062%
Which totals 99.99452 (and yes I rounded the numbers)
(and yes I did not extract all the CO2, I left 32/100th percent)


Nitrates
If we can get 1 pound of total nitrates much of it as NH3, and optionally production of HNO3, this should take care of our early needs.

CH3NO2 Nitromethane (washing solvent, dissolves plastics, fuel)
Produced by injecting Nitric acid into a high pressure chamber containing superheated methane gas.
400 degrees Celsius self sustaining (exothermic)

NH4NO3 Ammonium nitrate (agricultural fertilizer, at least 32% N)
Produced by combining pure ammonia with nitric acid.
Pure ammonia is produced by (1860’s Swedish chemist) putting natural gas under great pressure, mixing it with superheated steam, and injecting the mixture into a conversion chamber lined with a platinum catalyst. Exothermic, self sustaining.
How to produce on Mars???

HNO3 Nitric Acid
(aqua fortis) 1part add 3parts HCl => aqua regia which will dissolve even gold

KNO3 Niter (Saltpeter)

N2O Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Used as Anesthetic

H2SO4 Sulfuric Acid

CH3CH2OH Ethyl alcohol (Ethanol)
Produced from ethylene by catalytic hydration -or- fermentation
Used as solvent, antifreeze, and beverage ;->

CH3CH2OCH2CH3 Ether
Produced by treating ethyl alcohol with sulfuric acid
Used as solvent and Anesthetic

CH3OH Methyl Alchohol (Methanol)
Can be catalytically produced by Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen.
Used as a solvent for plastics, paints and varnishes, antifreeze and in the manufacture of formaldehyde




Regardless, The day after the ERV/ISPP/STPP lands, Mars becomes the second safest place in the solar system.