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3 pages, 145 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial: Advances in Mineral Carbonation

by Muhammad Imran Rashid, Timothy Oliver and Faezeh Farhang

Minerals 2024, 14(8), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080740 - 24 Jul 2024

Viewed by 921

Abstract

Mineral carbonation stands out as a prominent technology aimed at reducing atmospheric CO₂ emissions, a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, through a variety of processes [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

Research

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17 pages, 2745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Step towards CO₂ Sequestration through Mineral Carbonation: Using Ammonium-Based Lixiviants for the Dissolution of Calcium from Iron-Making Blast Furnace Slag

by Itumeleng C. Kohitlhetse, Malibongwe S. Manono, Catherine K. Motsetse and Peter M. Mendonidis

Minerals 2024, 14(7), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070695 - 5 Jul 2024

Viewed by 929

Abstract

In recent years, technical processes for the sequestration of CO₂ through industrial waste mineral carbonation have been explored and developed. There is a large portfolio of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) techniques that have been employed in laboratories and at pilot [...] Read more.

In recent years, technical processes for the sequestration of CO₂ through industrial waste mineral carbonation have been explored and developed. There is a large portfolio of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) techniques that have been employed in laboratories and at pilot scale. These include geological storage, ocean storage, and mineralisation by carbonate ores. In view of this, the main purpose of this research was to investigate and explore chemical variables, particularly ammonium salts as lixiviants for calcium mineral extraction from iron-making slag. The slag in use was acquired from a steel mill in the Vaal Triangle Region in Gauteng, South Africa. The experimental test work was conducted using different ammonium lixiviants, namely, NH₄NO₃, NH₄Cl, and CH₃COONH₄, to understand the influence of anion type as well as possible differences in mechanisms of interactions. Lixiviant concentration as well as reaction time were varied in this research study. The three selected ammonium-based lixiviants showed different extents of calcium extraction owing to differences in the anion groups. NH₄NO₃, NH₄Cl, and CH₃COONH₄ were found to be capable of dissolving 50% to 80% of the calcium from the selected slag for different molar concentrations. Anion type and leaching time also had significant influences on the leaching of calcium from the slag. Rapid pH degradation resulted in better calcium extraction capabilities. This work has shown that the selected ammonium salts have the potential to be lixiviants for calcium dissolution from iron-making blast furnace slags. These lixiviants would, therefore, be important to consider during calcium mineral carbonation for CO₂ sequestration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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21 pages, 3858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mineral Carbonation Potential (MCP) of Mine Waste Material: Derivation of an MCP Parameter

by Anthony Jacobs, Michael Hitch, Sara Mosallanejad, Tejas Bhatelia, Jiajie Li and Faezeh Farhang

Minerals 2023, 13(9), 1129; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091129 - 26 Aug 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1603

Abstract

The heterogenous mineralogy of ultramafic deposits hosting mining operations makes it challenging to accurately determine the waste rock’s mineral carbonation potential (MCP). Additionally, the significantly higher carbonation capabilities of olivine than serpentine add to the difficulty. To address this issue, in this work, [...] Read more.

The heterogenous mineralogy of ultramafic deposits hosting mining operations makes it challenging to accurately determine the waste rock’s mineral carbonation potential (MCP). Additionally, the significantly higher carbonation capabilities of olivine than serpentine add to the difficulty. To address this issue, in this work, a new and unique tool called the MCP calculator was developed as a Microsoft ExcelTM spreadsheet to accurately determine the amount of anthropogenic CO₂ that a given rock mass can sequester through mineral carbonation. The program estimates the modal mineral abundance of ultramafic rocks to aid in MCP estimation. This tool is designed to be cost-effective and tailored for use by the mining industry, utilising abundant lithogeochemical data to evaluate their deposit as a potential substrate for industrial mineral carbonation operations. The paper introduces the MCP calculator, outlines a framework for developing the MCP parameter, and presents an example of its application. The calculator is specific to the mineral assemblage investigated at the Turnagain ultramafic complex in northern British Columbia but can be adjusted to study comparable deposits. The paper acknowledges that using waste rock in a mineral carbonation operation requires economic and practical decisions beyond the scope of the research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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12 pages, 895 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Determination of the CO₂ Uptake of Construction Products Manufactured by Mineral Carbonation

by Peter Nielsen and Mieke Quaghebeur

Minerals 2023, 13(8), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13081079 - 14 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2029

Abstract

Mineral carbonation is a technology for capturing and storing CO₂ in solid minerals. When mineral carbonation is used to produce construction materials, the quantification of the CO₂ uptake of these products is of the utmost importance, as it is used to [...] Read more.

Mineral carbonation is a technology for capturing and storing CO₂ in solid minerals. When mineral carbonation is used to produce construction materials, the quantification of the CO₂ uptake of these products is of the utmost importance, as it is used to calculate the CO₂ footprint of the product and/or carbon offset. The CO₂ uptake is generally determined by measuring the CO₂ content of a material before and after accelerated carbonation. This approach, however, does not take hydration and dehydroxylation reactions into account that may occur during carbonation, and it can therefore under- or overestimate the CO₂ uptake. Thus, a more accurate and practical method to determine CO₂ uptake, which also accounts for hydration and dehydroxylation reactions, is proposed in this paper. This method is based on analytical methods to determine the dry mass and the CO₂ content of the solid products before and after carbonation, and on the calculation of the CO₂ uptake by the following equation: CO₂ uptake (wt.%) = CO₂ carbonated (wt.%) × (weight after carbonation (g)/weight before carbonation (g) − CO₂ initial (wt.%), with CO₂ carbonated being the CO₂ content in g/100 g dried carbonated material, and CO₂ initial being the CO₂ content in g/100 g dried initial material, i.e., before carbonation. The “weight before carbonation” is the dry weight of the initial material, and the “weight after carbonation” is the product’s dry weight after carbonation. In this paper, we show that up to 44% under- or overestimation of CO₂ uptake can occur when hydration and dehydroxylation reactions are not taken into account during mineral carbonation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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16 pages, 4893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Liquid/Solid Ratio and Pressure on the Natural and Accelerated Carbonation of Alkaline Wastes

by Giampiero Pasquale Sorrentino, Renato Guimarães, Bruno Valentim and Elza Bontempi

Minerals 2023, 13(8), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13081060 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1714

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to assess the yield and reaction rate potential of carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration through mineralisation using readily available and inexpensive resources by exploiting waste materials. In this case, a blend of four different kinds of [...] Read more.

The purpose of this research is to assess the yield and reaction rate potential of carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration through mineralisation using readily available and inexpensive resources by exploiting waste materials. In this case, a blend of four different kinds of ashes and combustion by-products were used, namely, coal fly ash (CFA), flue gas desulphurization (FGD) residues, municipal solid waste incineration fly ashes (MSWI FA) and bottom ash (MSWI BA), produced at the same location. To highlight the impact of these materials on the carbonation process, various factors were analysed, including particle size distribution, immediately soluble contents, mineralogy, particles’ detailed structure, and chemical composition. After preparing the samples, two carbonation processes were tested: natural carbonation and accelerated carbonation. To evaluate the impact of the water content on the reaction rate and yield of the mineral carbonation, various liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios were used. The results demonstrate that the water content and pressure play a significant role in the CO₂ sequestration during the accelerated carbonation, the higher the L/S, the greater the yields, which can reach up to 152 g CO₂/kg with MSWI FA, while no substantial difference seems to emerge in the case of the natural carbonation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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15 pages, 2484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Cation Chloride Concentration on the Dissolution Rates of Basaltic Glass and Labradorite: Application to Subsurface Carbon Storage

by Kiflom G. Mesfin, Domenik Wolff-Boenisch, Sigurdur R. Gislason and Eric H. Oelkers

Minerals 2023, 13(5), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13050682 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1719

Abstract

The steady-state dissolution rates of basaltic glass and labradorite were measured in the presence of 10 to 700 × 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ aqueous NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂ at 25 °C. All rates were measured in mixed flow reactors, [...] Read more.

The steady-state dissolution rates of basaltic glass and labradorite were measured in the presence of 10 to 700 × 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ aqueous NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂ at 25 °C. All rates were measured in mixed flow reactors, and at pH~3.6 by the addition of HCl to the reactive fluids. The steady-state basaltic glass dissolution rates, based on Si release, increased by ~0.3 log units in the presence of 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ of either CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ compared to their rates in 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ of NaCl or KCl. In contrast, the steady-state dissolution rates of labradorite decreased by ~0.4 log units in the presence of 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ of either CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ compared to their rates in 10⁻³ mol·kg⁻¹ of NaCl or KCl. These contrasting behaviours likely reflect the varying effects of these cations on the stability of rate controlling Si-rich activated complexes on the surface of the dissolving solids. On average, the Si release rates of these solids are similar to each other and increase slightly with increasing ionic strength. As the pH of water charged with 10 to 30 bars CO₂ is ~3.6, the results of this study indicate that both basaltic glass and labradorite dissolution will likely be effective at increasing the pH and adding Ca to the aqueous phase in saline fluids. This observation supports potential efforts to store carbon through its mineralization in saline aquifers containing Ca-bearing feldspar and in submarine basalts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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19 pages, 2221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of CO₂ Absorption Using Blended Alkanolamine Absorbents for Multicycle Integrated Absorption–Mineralization

by Chanakarn Thamsiriprideeporn and Suekane Tetsuya

Minerals 2023, 13(4), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13040487 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1905

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of blended amine absorbents in improving the CO₂ alkanolamine-based absorption of multicycle integrated absorption–mineralization (multicycle IAM) under standard operating conditions (20–25 °C and 1 atm). Multicycle IAM is a promising approach that transforms CO [...] Read more.

The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of blended amine absorbents in improving the CO₂ alkanolamine-based absorption of multicycle integrated absorption–mineralization (multicycle IAM) under standard operating conditions (20–25 °C and 1 atm). Multicycle IAM is a promising approach that transforms CO₂ emissions into valuable products such as carbonates using amine solvents and waste brine. Previously, the use of monoethanolamine (MEA) as an absorbent had limitations in terms of CO₂ conversion and absorbent degradation, which led to the exploration of blended alkanolamine absorbents, such as diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and aminomethyl propanol (AMP) combined with MEA. The blended absorbent was evaluated in terms of the absorption performance and carbonate production in continuous cycles of absorption, precipitation/regeneration, and preparation. The results showed that the fourth cycle of the blend of 15 wt.% AMP and 5 wt.% MEA achieved high CO₂ absorption and conversion efficiency, with approximately 87% of the absorbed CO₂ being converted into precipitated carbonates in 43 min and a slight degradation efficiency of approximately 45%. This blended absorbent can improve the efficiency of capturing and converting CO₂ when compared to the use of a single MEA, which is one of the alternative options for the development of CO₂ capture and utilization in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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6 pages, 1393 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Bending Improvement of CO₂-Activated Materials through Crosslinking of Oligomers

by Yunhua Zhang, Qing Wang, Zhipeng Zhang and Pengxiang Lei

Minerals 2023, 13(3), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13030352 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1485

Abstract

Calcium carbonate is the main carbonation product of most CO₂-activated materials (CAMs); however, its brittle nature usually leads to low bending, which represents the major drawback of CAM in its application as a construction material. Herein, the bending of CAM was [...] Read more.

Calcium carbonate is the main carbonation product of most CO₂-activated materials (CAMs); however, its brittle nature usually leads to low bending, which represents the major drawback of CAM in its application as a construction material. Herein, the bending of CAM was greatly improved by the addition of triethylamine (TEA) in the carbonation process. Both the grain size of the carbonation product, i.e., calcite, and the intensity ratio of the crystal planes from (104) to (113) obviously increased with the addition of TEA, as shown by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, suggesting the crosslinking of oligomers. Compared with the CAM without TEA, the flexural strength of CAM was significantly improved under optimized curing conditions, which was attributed to the crosslinking of oligomers formed with TEA addition. The present work may provide a promising strategy for improving the bending of CAM materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mineral Carbonation)

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