BASALT CARBONATION AND ITS POTENTIAL USE IN CO2 STORAGE

Abstract

The increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are indicated as a major contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect. There are several options to reduce these levels and the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is identified as an effective way to decrease the concentration of this gas. In this work, it is present the indirect carbonation of basalt, as well as, a study of abundance and occurrence of this mineral and its proximity to emission sources of CO2 . After examining the map constructed by matching Brazilian regions with high emission and regions where there are basalt occurrences, one can conclude that the South and Southeast regions have a great potential for geological storage into basalt. This is due to the occurrence of emission sources very close to the basalt area. The carbonation reaction is efficient, as evidenced by atomic absorption analysis, showing a high rate of conversion of leached ions into carbonate. SEM and EDS analysis indicate the formation of precipitated ferrous calcite, which suggests an efficient indirect carbonation.

Keywords

• Carbonation; Basalt; Carbon; Storage.