View source for Carbon dioxide electrolysis

[[Carbon dioxide]] electrolysis is an alternative path to creating hydrocarbons for a Martian settlement using [[In-situ resource utilization|In-Situ resources]].<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrochemical_reduction_of_carbon_dioxide</ref>

Rather than generating methane through Electrolysis of water and the Sabatier process, Carbon dioxide electrolysis in an aqueous solution using catalysts creates Carbon Monoxide (CO) and water (H2O).  See also [[Syngas]].

The CO can be used to create feedstocks such as urea, formic acid, [[methanol]], [[ethylene]] and [[methane]].

The carbon monoxide can also be used to reduce oxidized metals into pure metals.

It can also be used in carbon monoxide - [[metal carbonyl]] vapours to allow the laser printing of 3D metallic parts. 


==References==
<references />

// For a discussion of CO - metal carbonyls, see page 217-218.
"The Case for Mars 2nd edition", Robert Zubrin, 9-781451-608113