Carbon dioxide capture through mineralization reactions using SANS and neutron diffraction

As the world has increasingly recognized the impact of CO2 levels on our climate, this has fostered a search for reliable and scalable means for capturing and sequestrating that CO2. Particularly challenging are technologies to capture directly from the atmosphere (DAC). Concentrations are quite low (400 ppm) compared to the ~15 % of flue gas. Capture and sequestration using mineral reactions is quite appealing. This is already at work in natural settings, dubbed weathering in a geologic context. Thus, we know it works, and thermodynamics shows it is energetically favorable. However, the kinetics are a challenge. We propose to examine controls on the carbonation of Ca(OH)2 to form CaCO3 and the companion form Mg(OH)2 to form MgCO3. The kinetics in this system involve hydration reactions, with varying scattering length densities accessible via SANS. Crystal phases to be detected via WAND.