Formaldehyde
Precursor gas used to create industrials resins for binders and coatings. It is the simplest of the aldehydes (R−CHO).
Formaldehyde would be a product of an In-Sutu chemical production system for a Martian settlement.
Some typical products are Urea formaldehyde and melamine. Other products include insulation and glues.
In Situ Production
It is created using the Formox process. A catalytic oxidation of methanol.
The most common catalyst is silver, but iron oxide and molybdenum and/or vanadium can also be used. In the iron oxide catalyzed process, methanol and oxygen react at 300-400°C to produce formaldehyde according to the chemical equation: CH3OH + ½ O2 → H2CO + H2O.