DEVELOPMENT OF A CO2 SEQUESTRATION MODULE BY INTEGRATING MINERAL ACTIVATION AND AQUEOUS CARBONATION

Mineral carbonation provides a potential option for the long-term storage of carbon dioxide. Serpentine has been chosen as the feedstock mineral, due to its abundance and availability. However, the relatively low reactivity of serpentine has warranted research into physical and chemical treatments that have been shown to greatly increase its reactivity. The use of sulfuric acid as an accelerating medium for the removal of magnesium from serpentine has recently been investigated. In addition to the challenges presented by the dissolution of serpentine, another challenge is the subsequent carbonation of the magnesium ions. A stable hydration sphere for the magnesium ion reduces the carbonation kinetics by obstructing the formation of the carbonation products. Accordingly, this research has evaluated the solubility of carbon dioxide in aqueous solution, the interaction between the dissociation products of carbon dioxide, and the carbonation potential of the magnesium ion