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From Oscomak

Plastics are one of the most versatile construction materials known to man. One of the most important proposed uses is that of constructing green houses, since all food will have to be grown in them.

Overview of greenhouse plastics and materials

Finding ways to synthesize plastics on Mars is a daunting task due to the large variety of chemical processes used to make them. One way to start is to examine the plastics made on earth and attempt to improvise strategies for obtaining the raw materials on Mars.

The following table contains common greenhouse plastics on earth, the raw materials needed for production, whether the process itself requires something not available (large machinery, massive power consumption, etc), and overall feasibility.

Plastic	Raw Materials	Process Feasibility	Overall Feasibility
Polycarbonate	Bisphenol A Phosgene Sodium Hydroxide
Low density polyethene	Ethene Organic peroxide	Free radical polymerization: Requires 300 degrees celsius, 2000 atm
High density polyethene	ethene an organometallic compound	Coordination polymerization
Polyethelene terepthalate (polyester)		Raw materials are placed in a mold and heated, good for custom molds.

This chart details the chemicals required for making various plastics, the raw materials required (at least in standard manufacturing, alternatives may exist)to make them, processes for synthesis, Martian sources, and the feasability of obtaining them on site. "Produce" in the materials list means it can be grown in a greenhouse, and "simple" in the synthesis list means it can be performed with standard equipment that will be on hand

Compound	Raw Materials	Synthesis	Martian sources	feasibility
Bisphenol A	Acetone H+ Ethanol Hydrochloric acid/Polystyrene (catalyst) Toluene (for removing phenol)
Acetone	Produce	Acetone can be obtained organically, from corn, for example.	Greenhouse	Plausible
Carbon monoxide	Carbon dioxide	Byproduct during Martian Oxygen Production	Atmosphere	Plausible
Ethanol	Produce	Can be created in the same process that is common here on earth.	Greenhouse	Plausible
Ethene	Possibly produce, ethanol, sulfuric acid sodium hydroxide	Simple	Synthesized
H+	Water	Electrolysis of water, I believe, produces an H+ and an OH- ion.	Greenhouse - use condensation that misses plant pots or whatever plants are groun in.	Not very plausible in the short-term - water being precious
Peroxide
Phosgene	Carbon monoxide Chloride gas Activated Carbon(catalyst)
Hydrochloric acid
Sodium Hydroxide	Sodium Oxide H+ (I assume)	Simple synthesis reaction (I assume)	Synthesized	Plausible
Sodium Oxide	Native surface, jasparite contains 1.5% on average in some areas	Extraction technique research pending	Surface	Plausible

Overview of construction plastics and required materials

Though the majority of construction materials used in extraterrestrial colonies will probably be brick-like or iron, plastics may be needed for building more precise pieces such as pipes. Following is a table of plastics that are commonly used for such purposes on Earth.

Plastic	Raw Materials	Process Feasibility	Overall Feasibility
PVC