Carbon dioxide sequestration by mineral

In order to prevent CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere rising to unacceptable levels, carbon dioxide can be separated from flue gas and subsequently sequestrated through various technologies. Among these, mineral CO2 sequestration offers a route where CO2 is chemically stored in solid carbonates via the carbonation of minerals. Utilizing mineral feedstock rich in alkaline earth silicates, such as olivine and wollastonite, this method presents fundamental advantages over other sequestration methods, including the stability of the formed products and the availability of large feedstock deposits worldwide. Although carbonation reactions occur spontaneously in nature, the industrial viability is hindered by slow reaction rates at atmospheric conditions. Therefore, current research aims to accelerate these rates, focusing on process optimization. Factors such as elevated temperature and CO2 pressure enhance reaction rates but risk favoring gaseous CO2 over mineral carbonates at higher temperatures. Additionally, solvent use and mineral pre-treatment techniques show potential for significant process improvements. This literature review also discusses the limitations of alternative routes, highlighting the greater practicality of methods utilizing ultramafic rocks due to lower waste production and resource availability.