mineral carbonation

Question 1

what is cement

Answer 1

cement is the largest mass manufactured man-made product on earth

Question 2

why is the demand for cement is increasing

Answer 2

due to developing countries striving for better infrastracture

Question 3

does cement release carbon

Answer 3

yes, cement manufacturing is one of the most carbon-releasing industries in the world

Question 4

how is carbon dioxide released from cement

Answer 4

CO2 is emitted during clinker production, which is a key step in cement manufacture

CO2 is also emitted during cement production by fossil fuel combustion

Question 5

what do this release of CO2 cause

Answer 5

the high levels of Carbon Dioxide emissions from cement manufacturing have contributed to climate change with global repercussions

Question 6

what process can be done to reduce these levels of CO2

Answer 6

mineral carbonation can reduce the amount of CO2 released from cement production

Question 7

describe mineral carbonation

Answer 7

it is a process where CO2 is reacted with naturally occurring minerals to form stable carbonate compounds

this process occurs naturally over geological time scales, however, can be accelerated through human intervention to mitigate global climate change

Question 8

what are the two key steps involved in mineral carbonation

Answer 8

carbon dioxide capture and mineral reaction

Question 9

describe CO2 capture and mineral reaction

Answer 9

CO2 is captured from industrial emissions or directly from the atmosphere, and then reacted with minerals such as olivine, serpentine, or wollastonite to form stable carbonate compounds

Question 10

what can be done with the resulting compounds

Answer 10

the resulting carbonate compounds can then be stored permanently in geological formations or used as feedback for industrial processes

Question 11

positives of mineral carbonation

Answer 11

mineral carbonation can be used to capture CO2 emissions from various sources, including industrial processes, power plants, and the atmosphere

the process permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere and does not require the use of expensive or toxic chemicals

naturally occurring minerals used in mineral carbonation are abundant and widely distributed around the world

Question 12

negatives of mineral carbonation

Answer 12

challenges associated with mineral carbonation include the energy required to drive the process and the availability and accessibility of suitable mineral deposits

some minerals may not be reactive enough or available in sufficient quantities for large scale carbonation projects so careful site selection and mineral characterization are important

Question 13

what do feedstock mineral form

Answer 13

feedstock minerals such as serpentine, magnesium silicate rock, slags, or fly ashes are reacted with CO2 streams to form magnesium or calcium carbonates and silica, which can be used to make valuable products

Question 14

what is MCi

Answer 14

MCi is a company that has developed a mineral carbonation technology to transform CO2 into solid materials safely, permanently and profitably

Question 15

what does MCi stand for

Answer 15

mineral carbonation international

Question 16

what can their carbon platform be adapted to

Answer 16

their carbon platform can be adapted to a range of mineral carbonation configurations, making it suitable for various industrial settings

Question 17

what does MCi require

Answer 17

three basic elements
CO2 source
feedstock
markets for the solid materials

Question 18

is MCi a success

Answer 18

they are one of the first companies to commercialize mineral carbonation and are growing in size and popularity

Question 19

where is MCi commercializing its carbon platform technology

Answer 19

in various industrial sectors such as cement, steel making, waste-to-energy, minerals, processing, manufacturing and energy

Question 20

what do MCi employ

Answer 20

they employ a rapid assessment methodology to assess the suitability of their technology to potential customer’s circumstances

Question 21

what is MCi currently doing

Answer 21

building its first demonstration-scale carbon plant to be operational in mid-2023

they are working with downstream industrial manufacturers to use their low-carbon materials in their product formulations

MCi is actively forming strategic partnerships to assist in commercial validation and deployment of their technology globally

Question 22

outlines MCi and the cement industry

Answer 22

they are working with customers and partners globally in the cement and concrete industries to validate their silicas and carbonates in new formulations that lower the carbon intensity of their product

MCi is planning to supply millions of tonnes of low-carbon materials to cement industry customers around the world to deliver low carbo, neutral or even negative carbon construction and infrastructure applications

Question 23

describe the 5 processes that MCi use in mineral carbonation

Answer 23

1. feedstock
2. pre-processing
3. carbonation
4. output
5. products

Question 24

describe feedstock

Answer 24

minerals
tailings
waste

Question 25

describe pre-processing

Answer 25

grinding
thermal activation
slurrying

Question 26

describe carbonation

Answer 26

industrial flue gas
direct air capture
captured CO2

Question 27

describe output

Answer 27

silica
carbonates
metal oxides

Question 28

describe products

Answer 28

cement
plasterboard
advanced materials

Question 29

what is feedstock

Answer 29

a source of calcium or magnesium

can be natural minerals such as serpentinite

can also be industrial byproducts such as steelmaking slag that contain calcium

Question 30

describe what is reacted with the CO2 source and what it will produce

Answer 30

CO2+magniums=magniums carbonate

CO2+calcium=calcium carbonate