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For SpaceNut ... I looked for topics that contain the word "Chinese" and while there are several, none were about the space station they've been operating for some time.
Yahoo had an update on 2025/01/23:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-astr … 00600.html
The news was about multiple space walks to install shields to protect the exterior of the station from debris.
However, it did cover additional related items and future plans.
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This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
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The article at the link below reports on research to try to improve conversion of CO2 to useful materials.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-astr … 06503.html
The article is cautious about the significance of the research at this point, but makes clear that improvement over electrolysis would be welcome if results can be achieved with less energy.
A curious feature of the work is the output: oxygen is produced, as might be expected, but ethylene is produced as well.
This means that water is participating in the process because hydrogen is needed to make ethylene.
I'll create a separate post to report on the properties of ethylene.
Futurism
Chinese Astronauts Create Rocket Fuel in Space Using "Artificial Photosynthesis"
Victor Tangermann
Sat, February 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM EST2 min read32
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Generate Key TakeawaysBreathing New Air
Chinese astronauts claim to have created rocket fuel on board the country's Tiangong space station using a new process dubbed "artificial photosynthesis."As the South China Morning Post reports, space travelers from the current Shenzhou-19 mission produced the necessary ingredients of rocket fuel, as well as oxygen, another useful resource in space.
The team used semiconductor catalysts to turn carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and ethylene, a hydrocarbon commonly used to produce spacecraft propellants, according to the SCMP.
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"This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods, utilizing carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels," state-run news broadcaster CCTV explained earlier this month, as quoted by the newspaper.The experiment could lay important groundwork for our efforts to turn in-situ resources in faraway places into a source of breathable air and rocket fuel that future interplanetary space travel may require.
"The work is expected to provide critical technical support for human survival and exploration in outer space," the CCTV report reads.
Moon Fuel
The idea of using semiconductor catalysts differs from other conventional oxygen-producing techniques, such as electrolysis on board the International Space Station, which is used to turn solar energy into a supply of breathable air.Advertisement
Experts have generally found that electrolysis is too energy intensive for long-distance space travel. By using semiconductor catalysts instead, Chinese researchers hope to convert carbon dioxide at both room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, thereby requiring far less energy.However, details regarding the experiments remain slim, and it's still unclear just how feasible the concept actually is, especially in extremely remote and hostile landscapes like the surface of Mars.
But if confirmed, the concept could give future Chinese space explorers a major leg up. The country is hoping to build a base near the Moon's south pole by 2035, an endeavor that will require a steady and reliable source of breathable oxygen — not to mention rocket fuel for the trip back to Earth.
More on China's space station: Watch Astronauts Give a Rare Tour of China's Luxurious Space Station
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This post is about ethylene
Ethylene (C2H4) - Structure, Molecular Mass, Physical and ...
Ethylene is a colorless, flammable gas with the chemical formula C2H4, considered the simplest alkene, and is a crucial plant hormone that plays a key role in fruit ripening, as well as being widely used in the chemical industry to produce various plastics and other materials; it is the most produced organic compound globally.
Key points about ethylene:
Plant hormone:
In plants, ethylene naturally regulates growth, development, and stress responses, most notably by triggering fruit ripening.
Industrial application:Ethylene is the primary raw material for producing polyethylene, a common plastic used in packaging, bags, and other products.
Chemical properties:
It is a colorless gas with a faint sweet odor, and is highly flammable.
Fruit ripening:
Placing a ripe fruit like a banana near unripe fruits can accelerate their ripening due to the ethylene gas emitted by the ripe fruit.
Molecular structure:
Ethylene has a double bond between two carbon atoms with each carbon atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms.
ETHYLENE | CAMEO Chemicals | NOAA
Physical Properties * Flash Point: -213°F (approx.) ( USCG, 1999) * Lower Explosive Limit (LEL): 2.75 % (USCG, 1999) * Upper Expl...CAMEO Chemicals
Ethylene | Structure, Sources, Production, Uses, & Facts - Britannica
Dec 27, 2024 — Principal uses are in packaging film, trash and grocery bags, agricultural mulch, wire and cable insulation, squeeze b...Britannica
ETHYLENE HAZARD SUMMARY - NJ.gov
IDENTIFICATION. Ethylene is a colorless gas at room temperature. At very low temperatures it is a liquid. It is used as a refriger...HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR ...
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Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C 2H 4 or H 2C=CH 2. It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon–carbon double bonds). Ethylene.Ethylene - Wikipedia
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ethylene
Ethylene - Wikipedia
Ethylene - American Chemical Society
About featured snippets
•Ethylene | Structure, Sources, Production, Uses, & Facts
Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › Science › Chemistry
ethylene from www.britannica.com
Dec 27, 2024 — Ethylene is an important industrial organic chemical. It is produced by heating either natural gas, especially its ethane and propane components ...
What is the name of the C2H4 compound?Ethylene and Propylene Maximization in the Refining Hardware - Leaving the "Red Ocean" of the Global Gasoline Market
Marcio Wagner da Silva
LinkedIn · 2 weeks ago
CO2 Chemical Trap and Electronegative Microenvironment Enable Metal–Organic Framework with One‐Step Ethylene Purification from Quaternary Mixture advanced.onlinelibrary.…
10+ likesIuri Pinto
LinkedIn · 1 week ago
New Thermoplastic Elastomers based on Ethylene-Butadiene-Rubber (EBR) by Switching from Anionic to Coordinative Chain Transfer Polymerization (Damien Montarnal and co-workers) #AngewandteVIP • onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
20+ likesangew_chem
X (Twitter) · 2 weeks agoCheck the latest work of my colleague Prof. B. Champagne @LCT_UNamur just published in @ChemPhysChem: "Unveiling the Reaction Mechanism of Diels-Alder Cycloadditions between 2,5-Dimethylfuran and Ethylene Derivatives Using Topological Tools": chemistry-europe.online….
7+ likesDr_Berionni
X (Twitter) · 5 days agoCoal-To-Ethylene Glycol Market Is Booming So Rapidly | BASF, Sinopec, SABIC
Kamlesh Singh
LinkedIn · 1 month ago
Videos2:36
Ethylene Explained
YouTube · PostHarvest
Apr 15, 20241:12
What is Ethylene?
YouTube · PostHarvest
May 26, 20212:29
Ethylene Oxide: An Essential Chemistry
YouTube · AmericanChemistry
Jul 9, 2021Ethylene | CH2=CH2 | CID 6325
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › compound › Ethyl...
Ethylene | CH2=CH2 or C2H4 | CID 6325 - structure, chemical names, physical and chemical properties, classification, patents, literature, ...Ethylene: The “World's Most Important Chemical”
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
https://www.afpm.org › newsroom › blog › ethylene-w...
Sep 6, 2017 — Ethylene, a key building block in plastic and vital to our country's manufacturing industry, has been thrust into the spotlight due to ...How do plants respond to ethylene and what is its importance ...
BMC Biology
https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com › articles
by C Chang · 2016 · Cited by 131 — Ethylene gas is a major plant hormone that influences diverse processes in plant growth, development and stress responses throughout the ...ETHYLENE | CAMEO Chemicals | NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov)
https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov › chemical
A colorless gas with a sweet odor and taste. It is lighter than air. It is easily ignited and a flame can easily flash back to the source of the leak.ETHYLENE HAZARD SUMMARY - NJ.gov
nj.gov
https://nj.gov › health › eoh › rtkweb › documents
* Exposure to Ethylene can cause headache, dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, confusion and unconsciousness. * Ethylene is a HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE.
6 pagesEthylene in Fruits and Vegetables
UCSD Center for Community Health
https://ucsdcommunityhealth.org › 2017/09 › eth...
Ethylene is a gas released by some fruits and vegetables that causes produce to ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables are more sensitive to ethylene than ...
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Ethylene
Chemical compound
Ethylene is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C₂H₄ or H₂C=CH₂. It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene. Ethylene is widely used in the chemical industry, and its worldwide production exceeds that of any other organic compound.Wikipedia
Formula
C2H4
IUPAC ID
Ethene
Molar mass: 28.05 g/mol
Boiling point: -154.7°F (-103.7°C)
Density: 1.18 kg/m³
Classification: hydrocarbon, organic compound
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It appears that the folks working on ChatGPT have added new science capabilities....
I asked ChatGPT's new science version to look at the reaction reported for the Tiangong experiment:
Breakthrough in Oxygen and Ethylene Production on Tiangong Space Station
Introduction
China’s Tiangong space station has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in life support and in-space manufacturing. Chinese researchers have successfully used a semiconductor catalyst to process carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) into oxygen (O₂) and ethylene (C₂H₄). This research has profound implications for long-duration space missions, closed-loop life support systems, and in-orbit resource utilization.Understanding the Chemistry
The process consists of two key reactions:1. Water Splitting (Electrolysis-like Reaction)
2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂- Water is invested in the reaction, generating oxygen (O₂) for breathing.
- Hydrogen (H₂) is produced and used as a reactant in the next step.2. CO₂ Reduction to Ethylene
2CO₂ + 6H₂ → C₂H₄ + 4H₂O- Carbon dioxide is converted into ethylene (C₂H₄), a valuable chemical for manufacturing and plant biology.
- Water is regenerated in the reaction, helping to sustain the process.Achieving a Balanced Process
Through careful management, the overall reaction achieves a sustainable balance:2CO₂ + 2H₂O → C₂H₄ + 3O₂- **2 CO₂ molecules** are converted from astronaut respiration.
- **2 H₂O molecules** are invested to enable the process.
- **3 O₂ molecules** are produced, providing breathable air.
- **1 C₂H₄ molecule** is created for industrial and biological applications.Implications for Space Exploration
This system has several critical applications:
Life Support Regeneration: Converts astronaut CO₂ waste into O₂, reducing reliance on stored oxygen.
Sustainable Manufacturing: Ethylene can be used to manufacture plastics for 3D printing in space.
Space Agriculture: Ethylene is a key plant hormone, potentially aiding crop production in space habitats.
Conclusion
China’s innovative research aboard Tiangong showcases a pioneering approach to sustainable spaceflight. By leveraging semiconductor catalysis, astronauts could one day operate with near-complete resource recycling, reducing supply chain dependencies from Earth. This discovery represents a major step forward in creating self-sustaining habitats beyond our planet.Stay tuned for further analysis and discussions on this groundbreaking technology!
"The ability to efficiently generate oxygen and ethylene from CO₂ and water represents a major leap toward sustainable space exploration."
It seems to me the process described above would be a better fit on Mars, where water can be drawn from the planet, and where carbon products will be of use. It seems to me it is less likely to useful on a space station or on a space craft traveling between planets. However, that is just a preliminary interpretation, and this topic is available for NewMars members to develop alternative interpretations.
If the purpose of the exercise is to make propellant, then ethylene would seem (to me at least) to be a useful precursor, and the fact that water is consumed simply means that water must be supplied. Water travels more easily than many other materials.
There would seem to be some room for this topic to grow a bit, as members consider the implications of this research.
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