The NetworkBuster Lunar Recycling System employs multiple specialized processing methodologies optimized for different material categories. Each process is adapted to function in lunar environmental conditions while maintaining high recovery efficiency.
Process Description: Plastics are heated in an oxygen-free environment (vacuum chamber) to break down polymer chains into smaller molecules.
Operating Parameters:
- Temperature: 300-450°C (varies by polymer type)
- Pressure: <0.1 mbar (high vacuum)
- Residence time: 30-90 minutes
- Heating rate: 10-20°C/min
Input Materials:
- HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
- LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
- PP (Polypropylene)
- PS (Polystyrene)
- PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) - limited
Outputs:
-
Hydrocarbon Oil (60-70% by mass):
- Fuel for chemical synthesis
- Energy storage medium
- Can be re-polymerized or used as fuel
-
Gases (15-25%):
- Methane, ethane, propane
- Can be used for heating or chemical feedstock
- Stored in pressurized tanks
-
Char/Carbon Black (10-20%):
- Reinforcement filler for composites
- Pigment production
- Regolith amendment
Energy Balance:
- Energy input: 2.5-3.5 kWh/kg plastic
- Energy value of output oil: 4-5 kWh/kg
- Net energy: Slightly positive to neutral (depending on oil utilization)
Lunar Adaptations:
- Vacuum chamber eliminates need for inert gas purge
- Condensation of oil vapors using passive radiative cooling
- Solar thermal augmentation during lunar day
Process Description: Cleaner, separated plastics are mechanically ground and re-melted into pellets.
Operating Parameters:
- Grinding: Cryogenic or ambient temperature
- Melting: 150-280°C (polymer-specific)
- Extrusion pressure: 50-150 bar
- Cooling: Radiative cooling in vacuum
Best for:
- Clean, single-type plastics
- HDPE, PP, PET (when uncontaminated)
Outputs:
- Plastic pellets (3-5mm diameter)
- 3D printing filament (1.75mm or 2.85mm)
- Molded parts directly
Efficiency: 90-95% material recovery
Separation:
- Magnetic separation (permanent magnets)
- Highly effective in vacuum (no air resistance)
Processing Options:
Option A - Compaction:
- Hydraulic press: 100+ tons force
- Creates dense bales or blocks
- Volume reduction: 10:1
- Energy: 0.1-0.2 kWh/kg
- Output: Stored for future smelting
Option B - Arc Melting (future capability):
- Electric arc furnace (requires high power: 10+ kW)
- Temperature: 1500-1600°C
- Produces ingots or castings
- Requires additional power infrastructure
Current Recommendation: Compaction and storage
Processing:
- Grinding: Reduce to powder or small chips
- Melting: Electric furnace at 660-750°C
- Casting: Molds for ingots or specific shapes
- Cooling: Radiative cooling in vacuum
Energy Requirements:
- Melting: 0.4-0.6 kWh/kg (lower than Earth due to no oxide formation)
- Total process: 0.7-1.0 kWh/kg
Advantages in Lunar Vacuum:
- No oxidation during melting (no dross formation)
- Easier degassing of molten metal
- Can achieve higher purity
Output Forms:
- Ingots (standard sizes: 100g, 500g, 1kg)
- Structural extrusions
- Powder for additive manufacturing
Sources: Electronics, wiring, connectors
Processing:
- Manual/Robotic Disassembly: Remove high-value components
- Shredding: Break down to <1cm pieces
- Density Separation: Centrifugal or air classification
- Melting: Copper at 1085°C
Recovery Rates:
- Copper: 85-90%
- Gold/Silver: 70-80% (from circuit boards)
- Platinum group: 60-70%
Energy: 1.5-2.5 kWh/kg (high value justifies cost)
Input: Bottles, windows, fiberglass, glass containers
Process:
- Crushing: Impact mill or jaw crusher
- Sorting: Optical sorting by color
- Grinding: Produce cullet (crushed glass, 5-20mm)
Outputs:
Cullet (Primary):
- Used as aggregate in concrete-like materials
- Mixed with regolith for sintering (future)
- Abrasive media
Melting (Secondary - energy intensive):
- Temperature: 1400-1600°C
- High power requirement: 1.5-2.5 kWh/kg
- Can produce new glass items or fibers
Energy-Efficient Option:
- Use solar furnace during lunar day
- Concentrated sunlight can achieve 1500°C+
- Zero electrical energy input
Sources: Thermal tiles, insulators, advanced materials
Processing:
- Mechanical grinding to powder
- Reuse as filler in composites
- Resintering (energy-intensive, limited use)
Output: High-temperature resistant powder/aggregate
Input: Food waste, paper, plant material, human waste solids
Process:
- Shredding: Reduce to <5cm pieces
- Mixing: With regolith and biochar for structure
- Composting: 45-65°C, controlled oxygen, 60-90 days
- Curing: Additional 30 days
Environment:
- Sealed chamber with controlled atmosphere
- Oxygen injection: 5-10% O₂
- Humidity: 40-60%
- Turned/mixed every 7 days
Outputs:
-
Compost (30-40% of input mass):
- Enriched regolith for plant growth
- High in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
- Improves water retention of regolith
-
CO₂ (captured):
- Used in greenhouse for plant growth
- Stored for atmosphere control
Energy: 0.05-0.1 kWh/kg (primarily for temperature control and mixing)
Input: Same as composting, optimized for high-moisture waste
Process:
- Pre-treatment: Shredding, mixing with water
- Digestion: Sealed tank, 35-40°C, 20-30 days
- Gas collection: CH₄ and CO₂
- Solid residue: Digestate (fertilizer)
Outputs:
-
Biogas (50-70% methane):
- Energy value: 5-7 kWh/m³
- Can power generators or fuel cells
- Fuel for heating
-
Digestate:
- Liquid and solid fractions
- High-quality fertilizer
- Similar use to compost
Energy Balance:
- Input: 0.1-0.2 kWh/kg waste
- Output: 0.5-1.5 kWh/kg (via biogas)
- Net positive energy
Lunar Suitability: Excellent - generates both fuel and fertilizer
Manual/Robotic Process:
- Identification: Computer vision + database lookup
- Disassembly: Robotic tools or teleoperatio
- Component Separation:
- Circuit boards
- Displays
- Batteries
- Casings (plastic/metal)
- Wiring
Reuse Priority:
- Functional components tested and inventoried
- Chips, capacitors, connectors recovered
- Reduces need for Earth supply
Process:
- Shredding: Reduce to <5mm fragments
- Heating: 300-400°C to remove plastics (pyrolysis)
- Metal Recovery:
- Magnetic separation: Iron
- Density separation: Copper, aluminum
- Chemical leaching: Precious metals (Au, Ag, Pd)
Chemical Leaching (Advanced):
- Mild acids (citric acid, thiourea)
- Electrolysis for metal plating
- Filtering and precipitation
Recovery Rates:
- Copper: 80-85%
- Gold: 70-75% (typical circuit board: 200-300 ppm Au)
- Silver: 65-70%
Output per kg of circuit boards:
- Copper: 100-150g
- Gold: 0.2-0.3g
- Silver: 1-2g
- Plastics/ceramics: 300-400g
Types: Li-ion, NiMH, alkaline
Safety First:
- Discharge completely before processing
- Protective argon atmosphere (or high vacuum)
- Fire suppression systems
Lithium-Ion Processing:
- Discharge: To 0V in controlled manner
- Disassembly: Remove casing
- Shredding: Separate cathode, anode, electrolyte
- Thermal Treatment: Remove organic components
- Hydrometallurgical Recovery: Extract lithium, cobalt, nickel
Recovery Rates:
- Lithium: 80-85%
- Cobalt: 90-95%
- Nickel: 85-90%
High Value: Battery materials are expensive to launch from Earth
Challenges: Difficult to separate fibers from matrix
Processes:
Pyrolysis:
- Burns off polymer matrix
- Recovers carbon or glass fibers (70-80% strength retained)
- Fibers can be reused in new composites
Grinding:
- Reduces to powder/short fibers
- Used as filler in new materials
Examples: Food packaging, insulation, laminates
Process:
- Shredding to small pieces
- Thermal treatment to separate layers (when possible)
- Often processed as mixed waste (lower value)
Produce filament/powder for 3D printing:
- Plastic filament from recycled polymers
- Metal powder from processed metals
- Composite materials combining regolith + binder
Benefits:
- On-demand part production
- Reduces spare parts inventory
- Enables local manufacturing
Combine recycling with lunar resource processing:
Regolith Processing:
- Glass/ceramic production from regolith (silicates)
- Metal extraction (iron, aluminum, titanium)
- Oxygen production (from oxides)
Integration Points:
- Recycled metals supplement regolith-derived metals
- Organic waste enriches regolith for agriculture
- Waste heat from recycling used for regolith sintering
Convert simple molecules into complex chemicals:
- Propylene to polypropylene
- Ethylene to polyethylene
- Methane to methanol
- CO₂ + H₂ to methane (Sabatier reaction)
Inputs from Recycling:
- Hydrocarbon gases from pyrolysis
- CO₂ from composting
- Biogas from anaerobic digestion
Creates closed-loop material economy
| Material | Best Process | Energy (kWh/kg) | Recovery % | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Plastics (single type) | Mechanical Recycling | 0.5-0.8 | 90-95% | Medium |
| Mixed Plastics | Pyrolysis | 2.5-3.5 | 80-85% | High |
| Aluminum | Melting | 0.7-1.0 | 95-98% | High |
| Steel | Compaction | 0.1-0.2 | 90-95% | Medium |
| Glass | Crushing | 0.05-0.1 | 85-90% | Low |
| Food Waste (wet) | Anaerobic Digestion | 0.1-0.2 | 70-80% | High |
| Food Waste (dry) | Composting | 0.05-0.1 | 75-85% | Medium |
| Circuit Boards | Disassembly + Chemical | 1.5-2.5 | 70-80% | High |
| Li-ion Batteries | Hydrometallurgical | 2.0-3.0 | 85-90% | Very High |
Priority Criteria:
- Value of recovered materials
- Launch cost savings (vs. replacement from Earth)
- Self-sufficiency improvement
- Energy efficiency
Before Processing:
- Visual inspection (camera + AI)
- Spectroscopic analysis (material ID)
- Contamination check
- Decision: Accept, clean, or reject
After Processing:
- Purity analysis (XRF, spectroscopy)
- Physical properties (strength, melting point)
- Contamination levels
- Certification for reuse
Quality Grades:
- Grade A: >95% purity, suitable for critical applications
- Grade B: 85-95% purity, general use
- Grade C: <85% purity, non-critical applications
Real-Time Sensors:
- Temperature profiles
- Gas composition
- Pressure monitoring
- Energy consumption
Optimization:
- ML algorithms adjust parameters
- Maximize recovery and minimize energy
- Predictive maintenance based on trends
Fire Risk:
- Pyrolysis in sealed, oxygen-free chambers
- CO₂ fire suppression in pressurized areas
- Temperature monitoring and automatic shutdown
Chemical Hazards:
- Sealed chemical processing
- Waste neutralization systems
- Personal protective equipment for maintenance
Pressure Hazards:
- Pressure relief valves on all vessels
- Vacuum-rated seals and windows
- Redundant sensors
Non-Recyclable Residues:
- Compacted and stored
- <5% of input mass becomes true waste
- Future tech may enable processing
Off-Gassing Management:
- Activated carbon filters
- Cold traps for vapor condensation
- Gas analysis before venting (safety check)
The NLRS material processing capabilities cover >95% of expected waste streams in a lunar habitat. By employing multiple complementary technologies, the system achieves:
- High Recovery Rates: 70-95% depending on material
- Energy Efficiency: Net positive for some processes
- Material Quality: Suitable for reuse in demanding applications
- Safety: Multiple redundant safeguards
- Autonomy: Minimal human intervention required
This comprehensive approach enables a sustainable circular economy on the Moon, critical for long-term human presence beyond Earth.
Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: December 3, 2025
Author: NetworkBuster Research Division