what about the experiments on plastic of earth in space?

[suntrack2]

Just asking as a curiocity here. how the plastic of earth will be best suited in the space and what about its effects in the space. As we know that the plastic carry bags are harmful when they have thrown away by the people. And how the plastic recycling procedure make easy in the space?

[Hornblower]

Just asking as a curiocity here. how the plastic of earth will be best suited in the space and what about its effects in the space. As we know that the plastic carry bags are harmful when they have thrown away by the people. And how the plastic recycling procedure make easy in the space?

I do not understand the question.

[korjik]

Why are they harmful?

[Peter Wilson]

A plastic bag hitting you at 40 km/s can have quit an impact :)

[neilzero]

Or even 4 kilometers per second which is closer to the average speed differnce between the space shuttle and garbage that hits the shuttle. Nearly everyone is now limiting the trash they leave in orbit. Plastic of most kinds can be recycled, and recycing will be important when humans move into space in large numbers. Neil

[Pinemarten]

I used to work at a PVC plant. They have a machine that can turn any plastic refuse back into 'product'.

It just grinds in into powder, and the powder is put back in the hopper that puts raw material into the 'extruder'.
The main reason that plastic isn't recycled is because most plastic plants have a huge inventory of 'mistakes' that keep the machines busy.

That plant has about 300,000 - 1 million kilograms of 'scrap' in the yard at any one time.
Mind you it is one of the largest in the world, and it makes more 'scrap' than any other in the corporation. Roughly about 20% scrap when the ideal is less than 6%.

[Noclevername]

Aside from the fossil-fuel plastics exported from Earth, it seems likely that most future space-dwellers will make whatever plastics they need out of either In Situ Resources or organics. Anyone know what sorts of plastics can be made this way, and are these recycleable?

[Pinemarten]

In case anyone cares here are the coordinates for google earth:

113.4048790556484 53.52540386689351,0

Southwest of this point are the uneven piles of scrap. To the Northeast of that point and across the road on the North are the stacks of 'good' product.

[Pinemarten]

Aside from the fossil-fuel plastics exported from Earth, it seems likely that most future space-dwellers will make whatever plastics they need out of either In Situ Resources or organics. Anyone know what sorts of plastics can be made this way, and are these recycleable?

I think most plastics on Earth are made from fossil fuels. It is the cheapest source. Methane and other such should work in space, but we would have to land to mine it.

Are there sources of hydro-carbons in space that aren't 'planet' bound?

[Noclevername]

Are there sources of hydro-carbons in space that aren't 'planet' bound?

From what I've see, while most NEO's are pretty dried up, reports show some of the Main Belt and Trojans asteroids may contain volatiles, incl. amonia, water and methane. (IIRC) Carbon compounds are thought to be plentiful compared to hydrogen. Give me time, I'll try to look it up.

[Pinemarten]

I am actually wondering about materials in space itself to avoid landing the vessel. Clouds of gas maybe?

[Noclevername]

Not enough to be worth the bother. (most asteroid mining will probably be automated anyway. "landing" a sacecraft on one will be more like docking, anyway.)

[Pinemarten]

I was thinking of extra-Solar expeditions. The fuel cost to slow down and land ;) would make the trip more difficult.

[Grashtel]

I was thinking of extra-Solar expeditions. The fuel cost to slow down and land ;) would make the trip more difficult.
Not that there will be any point to trying to pick up supplies part way, aside from the small possibility of encountering a conveniently placed comet interstellar space is very empty so you will make to make sure that you have everything you need for the trip when you set off. Once you have reached your destination system you will have to come to a stop anyway and doing so in the vicinity of useful resources (probably a "Kuiper belt" object or ringed planet) is the logical thing to do.

[Noclevername]

For ES trips, they'll probably have to bring all their own supplies anyway. I can't imagine theyd survive long enough to get there if they were not already self-sufficient.