Carbon dioxide sequestration by aqueous mineral carbonation of magnesium silicate minerals
The dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution has caused concerns about global warming. Fossil-fuel-fired power plants contribute approximately one third of the total human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide. Increased efficiency of these power plants will have a large impact on carbon dioxide emissions, but additional measures will be needed to slow or stop the projected increase in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. By accelerating the naturally occurring carbonation of magnesium silicate minerals it is possible to sequester carbon dioxide in the geologically stable mineral magnesite (MgCO3). The carbonation of two classes of magnesium silicate minerals, olivine (Mg2SiO4) and serpentine (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4), was investigated in an aqueous process. The slow natural geologic process that converts both of these minerals to magnesite can be accelerated by increasing the surface area, increasing the activity of carbon dioxide in the solution, introducing imperfections into the crystal lattice by high-energy attrition grinding, and in the case of serpentine, by thermally activating the mineral by removing the chemically bound water. The effect of temperature is complex because it affects both the solubility of carbon dioxide and the rate of mineral dissolution in opposing fashions. Thus an optimum temperature for carbonation of olivine is approximately 185 degrees C and 155 degrees C for serpentine. This paper will elucidate the interaction of these variables and use kinetic studies to propose a process for the sequestration of the carbon dioxide.
- Research Organization:
- Albany Research Center (ARC), Albany, OR
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE - Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
- OSTI ID:
- 898299
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ARC-2003-018
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
CRYSTAL LATTICES
DEFECTS
DISSOLUTION
EFFICIENCY
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
GRINDING
KINETICS
MAGNESIUM SILICATES
OLIVINE
POWER PLANTS
SERPENTINE
SOLUBILITY
SURFACE AREA
WATER
carbon dioxide
fossil fuel power plants
global warming
magnesium silicate
sequestration