Open loop additive material process and system for creating a human-habitable environment

Abstract

Methods for producing hydrocarbon-based polymers and hydrocarbon-based polymeric structures that are capable of removing carbon dioxide from an ambient environment to produce breathable oxygen. The methods produce enclosed, solar-exposed polymeric structures capable of expanding in area through the reuse of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-based polymers. As such, the method produces self-sustaining polymeric/hydrocarbon-based structures capable of in-situ resource harvesting and reuse to create a sustainable, habitable area. The methods can be used to create a habitable environment in otherwise harsh conditions, such as those associated with high concentrations of carbon dioxide and low pressure, without the need to use external, non-renewable resources, and instead using renewable, in-situ resources to improve the viability of habitation within the environment of the manufactured three-dimensional structures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing hydrocarbon-based polymeric structural elements, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a bioreactor including an aqueous mixture and a concentration of atmospheric gases, with a hydrocarbon-based organism disposed within the aqueous mixture;   separating the hydrocarbon-based organism from the aqueous mixture;   forming a first compound by crushing, hydrolyzing, and dehydrating the hydrocarbon-based organism;   reacting the first compound to produce a first set of monomeric units;   reacting the first set of monomeric units with a second set of monomeric units to produce a polymeric compound;   forming the polymeric compound into a resin; and   heating the resin and extruding the resin to form a hydrocarbon-based filament for use in generating a three-dimensional structure via an additive manufacturing machine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric gases include at least 10% CO 2  and less than 3% O 2 . 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon-based organism is algae. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological reactor is operated at a pressure approximately equal to a pressure of an ambient environment surrounding the bioreactor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first compound is selected from the group consisting of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, dimethylfurfural, furan, and p-xylene. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of monomeric units is selected from the group consisting of furandicarboxylic acid, succinic acid, itaconic acid, esters thereof, and diesters thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of monomeric units is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol, esters thereof, and diesters thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resin further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly-(butylene-succinate), poly-(butylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(butylene-itaconate), poly-(propylene-succinate), poly-(propylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(propylene-itaconate), polyethyleneterephthalate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure is selected from the group consisting of translucent films, plates, sheets, panels, other planar structures, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing a habitable hydrocarbon-based three-dimensional structure in an environment having low pressure and a high concentration of CO 2 , the method comprising the steps of:
 removing atmospheric gases into a bioreactor disposed within an ambient environment in communication with an atmosphere containing the atmospheric gases, wherein the atmospheric gases include at least 10% CO 2  and less than 3% O 2 , and wherein the ambient environment has less than 0.1 atm absolute pressure;   reacting the removed atmospheric gases with an aqueous mixture including a hydrocarbon-based organism to form a solid biomass, wherein the hydrocarbon-based organism is algae, and wherein the reaction with the atmospheric gases reduces the concentration of CO 2  in the ambient environment and increases the concentration of O 2  in the ambient environment;   forming a first compound from the solid biomass by crushing, hydrolyzing, and dehydrating the solid biomass;   reacting the first compound to produce a first set of monomeric units;   reacting the first set of monomeric units with a second set of monomeric units to produce a polymeric compound;   forming the polymeric compound into a resin; and   heating the resin and extruding the resin to form a hydrocarbon-based filament for use in generating a three-dimensional structure via an additive manufacturing machine.