Oxygen - Revision history

RichardWSmith: /* Electrolysis */ Fixed grammar

2025-05-28T01:16:25Z

Electrolysis: Fixed grammar

Michel Lamontagne: /* Relevance for life */

2024-11-29T14:44:18Z

Relevance for life

Michel Lamontagne: /* Oxygen production */

2024-11-29T14:43:04Z

Oxygen production

Michel Lamontagne: /* Production */

2024-11-29T14:42:01Z

Production

Michel Lamontagne: /* Uses for oxygen */

2024-11-29T14:41:35Z

Uses for oxygen

Michel Lamontagne: /* Emergency supplies */

2024-11-29T14:40:22Z

Emergency supplies

RichardWSmith: Corrected error, added link.

2024-11-29T03:13:33Z

Corrected error, added link.

RichardWSmith: Discussed how O2 is formed on Mars, and added links.

2024-11-29T03:08:35Z

Discussed how O2 is formed on Mars, and added links.

Michel Lamontagne: /* Uses for oxygen */

2023-11-27T21:12:58Z

Uses for oxygen

Michel Lamontagne: /* Combustion */

2023-11-27T21:03:16Z

Combustion

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ==Electrolysis==
-Submarines are a fairly good analog for a Mars habitat, a sealed system that has to manufacture oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. How Submarines produce oxygen<ref>Destin Sandlin (2021). How Do Nuclear Submarines Make Oxygen?- Smarter Every Day 251 [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Ud6mHdhlQ; SmarterEveryDay.</ref> using electrolysis.
+Submarines are a fairly good analog for a Mars habitat, a sealed system that has to manufacture oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Submarines produce oxygen<ref>Destin Sandlin (2021). How Do Nuclear Submarines Make Oxygen?- Smarter Every Day 251 [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Ud6mHdhlQ; SmarterEveryDay.</ref> using electrolysis.
 Two electrodes, positive and negative are charged using an electric current. Pure water is required because salt water will create chlorine gas which can be deadly if not adequately separated. On a submarine, reverse osmosis is used to filter out the salt, the same might be done on Mars. The pure water has potassium hydroxide (KOH) added as a catalyst to make the electrolysis more efficient. The hydrogen created in a submarine is exhausted from the boat, but would represent a vary valuable co-product on Mars.

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 =Relevance for life=
-The metabolism of [[human|human beings]], [[:category:animals|animals]] and aerobic [[microbes]] depends on oxygen. The atmosphere of Mars contains only 0,15 % oxygen, which is not enough to support animal or human life.  The minimum concentration required is about 15% oxygen, or 100 times more (depending on the atmospheric pressure)(reference needed).
+The metabolism of [[human|human beings]], [[animals|animals]] and aerobic [[microbes]] depends on oxygen. The atmosphere of Mars contains only 0,15 % oxygen, which is not enough to support animal or human life.  The minimum concentration required is about 15% oxygen, or 100 times more (depending on the atmospheric pressure)(reference needed).
 *Oxygen is used by life within the Carbon cycle, where CO2 is consumed by plants through photosynthesis, liberating oxygen than can then be used by plants for other processes or by animals to support the combustion of carbohydrates, that liberates CO2, completing the cycle.
 *Biological combustion also produces water, and therefore consumes oxygen that is removed from the biological cycle. But in tiny amounts compared to the other requirements that life has for water as a solvent and media for chemical reactions.  However, Oxygen is eventually returned to the atmosphere through photodissociation of water with UV light in the upper atmosphere.

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 *in [[Photobioreactor|photobioreactors]] by algae.
 *by reduction of [[carbon dioxide]] from the martian atmosphere, or [[w:Carbonates_on_Mars|carbonate]] minerals via either molten salt reduction<ref>https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/57796/1/CO2OtakeREMTRev2.pdf</ref> or via [[Carbon_Dioxide_Scrubbers|MOXIE]] style solid oxide electrolysis.
-*by reduction of oxide minerals, either at low temperature in aqueous solution<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10800-017-1127-5</ref> or at high temperature in molten salts<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10800-017-1143-5</ref>. This is required to free up metals from many ores.
+*by reduction of oxide minerals, either at low temperature in aqueous solution<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10800-017-1127-5</ref> or at high temperature in molten salts<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10800-017-1143-5</ref>. This is required to free up metals from many ores, such as Iron ore (Fe2O3) or aluminum ore (Al2O3).
 *by [[electrolysis]] of [[water]]
 *by the decomposition of [[Perchlorate|perchlorates]] in the soil.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 *If Oxygen becomes common in a future Mars' terraformed atmosphere, an [[Ozone]] layer will also build up 'naturally' which will protect the surface from [[Ultraviolet]] light.
-=Production=
+=Oxygen production=
 Oxygen can be produced [[Atmospheric processing|in situ]]:

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 *[[Propellant]].  Oxygen is often chosen as an oxidizer for chemical propulsion.
-*[[Air|Atmospheric component]].  The standard Earth atmosphere contains 21% Oxygen.
+*[[Air|Atmospheric component]].  The standard Earth atmosphere contains 21% Oxygen.  Oxygen regulation is an essential component of life support.
-*Chemical reagent as an oxidizer.  Often used in water treatment.
+*Chemical reagent as an oxidizer.  Often used in water treatment in the form of Ozone (O3).
 *Used in welding, cutting and fabrication processes.

@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 Fe + O<sub>2</sub> -> Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> + heat<br>
 heat + NaClO<sub>3</sub> -> NaCl + O<sub>2</sub><br>
-*Oxygen candles are used on the space station.
+*Oxygen candles are used on the space station. The self oxidizing reaction of the oxygen candle cannot be extinguished, it has to burn out.
-*Fires are classified in various ways. A Class Delta fire (self oxidizing fire), like an oxygen candle, cannot be extinguished, it has to burn out.
 =Uses for oxygen=

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 '''Oxygen''' (''[[Elements on Mars|periodic table]] symbol:'' O<sup>8</sup>) is a chemical element that can be found in the [[atmosphere]] and in most [[minerals]] on [[Mars]].  Almost half of the mass of the Martian crust is Oxygen, bound up in various minerals. Oxygen is created in stars from the fusion of [[Carbon]] and [[Helium]]. Oxygen has 8 protons and the most common isotope is oxygen 16.  O<sub>17</sub> and O<sub>18</sub> exist and are stable.  Oxygen needs two electrons to fill its outer electron shell, which makes it a powerful oxidizer.  (Only [[Fluorine]] is a more powerful oxidizer, but Fluorine is a fairly rare element.)
-Oxygen is found in the Martian [[Atmosphere]] in small quantities, produced by [[Photosynthesis]].
+Oxygen is found in the Martian [[Atmosphere]] in small quantities, produced by [[Photochemistry]].
 [[Image:alga_and_bubbles.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Alga producing oxygen]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:08, 29 November 2024
Line 9:		Line 9:

	'''Oxygen''' (''[[Elements on Mars\|periodic table]] symbol:'' O<sup>8</sup>) is a chemical element that can be found in the [[atmosphere]] and in most [[minerals]] on [[Mars]]. Almost half of the mass of the Martian crust is Oxygen, bound up in various minerals. Oxygen is created in stars from the fusion of [[Carbon]] and [[Helium]]. Oxygen has 8 protons and the most common isotope is oxygen 16. O<sub>17</sub> and O<sub>18</sub> exist and are stable. Oxygen needs two electrons to fill its outer electron shell, which makes it a powerful oxidizer. (Only [[Fluorine]] is a more powerful oxidizer, but Fluorine is a fairly rare element.)		'''Oxygen''' (''[[Elements on Mars\|periodic table]] symbol:'' O<sup>8</sup>) is a chemical element that can be found in the [[atmosphere]] and in most [[minerals]] on [[Mars]]. Almost half of the mass of the Martian crust is Oxygen, bound up in various minerals. Oxygen is created in stars from the fusion of [[Carbon]] and [[Helium]]. Oxygen has 8 protons and the most common isotope is oxygen 16. O<sub>17</sub> and O<sub>18</sub> exist and are stable. Oxygen needs two electrons to fill its outer electron shell, which makes it a powerful oxidizer. (Only [[Fluorine]] is a more powerful oxidizer, but Fluorine is a fairly rare element.)
		+
		+	Oxygen is found in the Martian [[Atmosphere]] in small quantities, produced by [[Photosynthesis]].

	[[Image:alga_and_bubbles.jpg\|thumb\|right\|200px\|Alga producing oxygen]]		[[Image:alga_and_bubbles.jpg\|thumb\|right\|200px\|Alga producing oxygen]]

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ==Combustion==
 Combustion is used on Earth in industrial processes to produce a non corrosive atmosphere of CO2 and nitrogen.  The oxygen is burned with natural gas, the water is removed by condensation and the resulting CO2+nitrogen mix is relatively inert and can be used, for example, as an atmosphere for processes that involve explosive iron dust.
 =Gas monitoring=