Two approaches to geologic sequestration of carbon are carbon dioxide injection in aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and mineralizing dissolved
### **1) What is Carbon Mineralization?**. Carbon mineralization is a process that naturally occurs over hundreds or thousands of years in which certain minerals inside rocks react with atmospheric CO2 to create carbonates, solid minerals that securely remove and sequester CO2. Alkaline minerals within the rock powder react with ambient CO2, trapping it in solid carbonates. A key concern with scaling up carbon mineralization above ground is the need to increase mining to access large amounts of alkaline material, as well as grinding and transport — all of which require energy. Carbon removed through surficial mineralization, for example, is challenging to account for and monitor because oceans, coasts and soils, where mine tailings and crushed rocks are spread, are open systems (as compared to a closed-system DAC plant). Carbon mineralization presents significant potential as a carbon removal approach, within a larger suite of carbon removal and climate actions, to help reach global climate goals.
Mineral carbonation is a prominent method for carbon sequestration. Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is trapped as mineral carbonate precipitates.
In particular, ***atmospheric carbonation*** (sometimes referred to as "weathering" or “natural” carbonation), which is the absorption of CO2 into hardened concrete over the course of decades, should not be confused or conflated with ***carbon mineralization*** (sometimes referred to as "early-age carbonation"), which is the injection and immediate transformation of captured CO2 into calcium carbonate in fresh concrete. CarbonCure Technologies is the world’s most well known and widely deployed carbon mineralization solution, advancing the decarbonization of the global concrete industry. Hundreds of concrete plants across more than two dozen countries use CarbonCure’s carbon utilization technologies to generate quantifiable and verifiable carbon savings through CO2 mineralization in concrete and the resulting cement displacement. In contrast, *carbon mineralization* by CO2 injection in fresh concrete is a rapid, controlled process occurring during mixing—largely before the hydration phase forms calcium hydroxide. In comparison, carbon mineralization via CO2 injection into fresh concrete allows quantification of the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere and permanently stored in the concrete.
For example, CO2 can be stored in concrete, known as ex-situ mineralization, in a matter of hours or injected underground for geologic carbon storage, known as in-situ mineralization, where the process occurs within a few years. Different approaches for scaling carbon mineralization include enhanced oil recovery, carbon utilization, and rock weathering, each with its own method, process, and growth opportunity. **Ex-situ:** Carbon-mineralized alternatives to traditional building materials can avoid damaging practices such as quarrying and can use hazardous waste materials from other industrial processes as inputs (e.g., fly ash or steel slag), reducing the potential for harm to local communities and the environment. For example, while in-situ mineralization methods can store carbon durably in underground rock formations, there are concerns about potential leakage at injection sites and from CO2 transportation pipelines. In the design sector, landscape architects can lower a project’s carbon footprint by specifying ‘rock dust,’ a low-cost, surficial form of carbon mineralization that can replace synthetic fertilizers, enhance soil health, and store CO2.
Biomimetic carbon mineralization leverages biochemical reactions to mimic natural biomineralization processes for CO 2 sequestration.
# Carbon Mineralization. #### Carbon Mineralization Overview:. Carbon management can be achieved by permanently storing captured carbon in natural systems or other resources via carbon mineralization processes. Natural resources for carbon mineralization which are highly reactive with CO2 include natural brines and mafic/ultramafic rocks and minerals. The Carbon Mineralization Program is dedicated to developing resource assessments for carbon management focusing on:. Projects in the Carbon Mineralization Program support the resource assessments by:. | Carbon Mineralization Project Landing Pages | |. | Resource Assessment of Industrial Wastes for CO2 Mineralization | **University of North Dakota** |. | Subsurface Carbon Mineralization Resources in Hawaiian Basalt | **University of Hawaii** |. | Resource Assessment of Geological Formations and Mine Waste for Carbon Dioxide Mineralization in the US Mid-Atlantic | **Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University** |. | Subsurface Mafic and Ultramafic Rock Mapping and Analysis for Carbon Mineralization in the United States (Submap-CO2) | **University of Texas at Austin** |.
Carbon mineralization is a versatile and thermodynamically downhill process that can be harnessed for capturing, storing, and utilizing CO 2 to synthesize