Formox process

Process used to create formaldehyde. The Formox process is a catalytic oxydation of methanol.

The most common catalyst is silver, but iron oxide and molybdenum and/or vanadium is a recent variation that can also be used and might be more available on Mars. 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.

The Formox process can be part of an In-situ production system for a settlement.