BELOW) Recycling carbon by methanation and pyrolysis, the process by which CO is combined with hydrogen in the presence of a nickel or ruthenium catalyst to make methane and water which is then pyrolyzed, that is decomposed to carbon and hydrogen with heat while the water is electrolyzed to hydrogen and oxygen, will be at the heart of lunar moondust refinning operations.
CO+3H2---->CH4+H2O CH4---->C+2H2 H2O----> H2+Oxygen byproduct
The hydrogen and carbon are recycled endlessly and leakage is made up for by volatile harvesting during 3he mining and volatile harvesting done to obtain useful hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. |
