Clean Catalysts for Water Recovery Systems in Long-Duration Missions

Oxidation catalysts based on innovative, physically-robust activated carbon materials containing dispersed noble metals are essential in process optimization for production of high-quality potable water in long-duration manned space missions. An innovative catalyst technology is proposed for development to a full-scale advanced life support and space station system size and configuration. The innovative support material is Porous Solid Carbon (PSC) monolith, which has been highly successful at small scale operation under previous programs, but has not been fully developed for spacecraft use to date. This material represents the state-of-the-art in advanced catalyst supports being developed for industrial applications. A catalytic oxidation process based on the PSC catalysts and operated at or below pasteurization temperatures is expected to meet NASA objectives at the minimum power/mass/consumables penalty. The key benefit of the PSC catalyst technology is that it has unsurpassed potential to exhibit the combination of physical stability and high catalytic activity over multi-year operational lives. The Phase I material development program will lay the foundation for an operational pilot system to be fabricated and delivered during the Phase II program.