This Lab-Made Mineral Just Became a Key Candidate For Reducing CO2 in The Atmosphere
Scientists just worked out a way of rapidly producing a mineral capable of storing carbon dioxide (CO2) - giving us a potentially exciting option for dealing with our increasingly overcooked planet. Magnesite, which is a type of magnesium carbonate, forms when magnesium combines with carbonic acid - CO2 dissolved in water. If we can produce this mineral at a massive scale, it could safely store large amounts of carbon dioxide we simply don't need in our planet's atmosphere.
[...] Being able to make the mineral in the lab could be a major step forward in terms of how effective carbon sequestration might eventually be. "Using microspheres means that we were able to speed up magnesite formation by orders of magnitude," says [Ian] Power. "This process takes place at room temperature, meaning that magnesite production is extremely energy efficient."
[...] With a tonne of naturally-occurring magnesite able to capture around half a tonne of CO2, we're going to need a lot of magnesite, and somewhere to put it all as well. As with other carbon capture processes, it's not yet clear whether this will successfully scale up as much as it needs to. That said, these new discoveries mean lab-made magnesite could one day be helpful – it puts the mineral on the table as an option for further investigation.
Related: Negative Emission Strategy: Active Carbon Capture
Carbon Capture From Air Closer to Commercial Viability
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Monday August 20 2018, @11:26AM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesite#Uses [wikipedia.org]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012803581802378X [sciencedirect.com]
https://cdn-pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00463 [acs.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by anubi on Monday August 20 2018, @11:52AM
Those links look interesting... especially the last one.
I wonder how much energy will be required to procure/refine/transform the magnesium, and will we be releasing yet more CO2 to make that energy?
Sometimes, these offerings read like the ads which goad me to buy this "thing" and "Save $20"! ( When the "thing" is priced at $200 ).
Geez, I'll go broke with all the savings!
I consider I "save" at least $180, ( probably more like $500 , by the time all the businesstalk* hidden in the ad is honored ) by just walking away.
*Other charges may apply. Batteries not included. Just pay separate fee.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]