There is also no shortage of clay on Mars, as seen by the Viking missions, and this can contribute to the ability to make clay and ceramic materials. Also, a large percentage, about 40%, of Martian soil is silicon dioxide which can be used to make glass through melting; like it has been done for thousands of years on Earth. However, the second largest percentage of a material in the Martian soil is iron xxide. Optical quality glass can not be made with iron present. However, this isn’t a huge problem. Hot carbon monoxide can be put into the mix and release the metallic iron which can be extracted through the use of a magnet. Iron can be used to manufacture many things like steel in the foundry. Also, the uses for glass might be a few less than iron but can be made into fiberglass and other such materials that will help Mars’ inhabitants greatly.