Investigators

Gordon Brown, Dennis K. Bird, Kate Maher and Wendy Mao, Geo & Environmental Science, Stanford University

Objective

A possible strategy for geological sequestration of CO₂ is in the reaction of CO₂ and Mg silicates. Mg silicates are present in the form of picrites and serpentinites which are abundant and thermodynamically convenient rocks to form Mg-carbonates. This exploratory project focuses on the mechanism and kinetics of CO₂ (and H₂O) interactions with both serpentinites and picrites, as well as in individual serpentine minerals and individual minerals found in picritic basalts. This investigation will focus on 1) changes in the surface chemistry of these minerals following carbonation reactions, 2) molecular-level characterization of the reaction products, and 3) kinetic studies of these surface carbonation reactions using stable isotopes as tracers. Results from the project may open pathways to enhance reaction kinetics of CO₂ with these minerals such that costs can be reduced at scale.

Progress Report

• 2010 Progress Report (PDF)

Publications

• Del Real, G., P. Maher, G. E. Brown, and D. K. Bird. “CO₂ sequestration in ultramafic rocks: Geological, physical, and chemical constraints from the Red Mountain Magnesite District, California,” (2010).
• Johnson, N. C, B. Thomas, K. Maher, D. K. Bird, R. B. Rosenbauer, and G. E. Brown, Jr. “Kinetics of olivine carbonation at 60°C and 100 bar.” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta (2010).

Presentations

• Johnson, N. C., B. Thomas, K. Maher, D. K. Bird, R. Rosenbauer, and G. E. Brown Jr. “Adsorption of Organic Ligands on Silicate Mineral Surfaces in the Presence of CO₂ and Water: Insight into Olivine Dissolution Rates,” Goldschmidt Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, 2011.
• Johnson N. C., B. Thomas, K. Maher, D. K. Bird, R. J. Rosenbauer, and G. E. Brown Jr. “Kinetics of Olivine Carbonation for Carbon Sequestration,” Carbon Capture and Storage Oman, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, January 8-10, 2011.
• García Del Real, P., K. Maher, D. K. Bird, G. E. and Brown Jr. “CO₂ Sequestration in Ultramafic Rocks: Insights from the Red Mountain Magnesite District, California,” Geological Carbon Capture and Storage, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, January 8-10, 2011.
• García del Real, P., K. Maher, D. K. Bird, and G. E. Brown Jr. “CO₂ Sequestration in Ultramafic Rocks: Insights from the Red Mountain Magnesite District, California.” Abstract EP41C-0719, presented at 2010 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, California, December 13–17, 2010.
• Maher, K., P. García del Real, P., D. K. Bird, G. E. Brown Jr., N. Johnson, Y. K. Kharaka, and R. J. Rosenbauer. “Discrepancies between Laboratory and Field-based Mineral-fluid Reaction Rates: Implications for CO₂ Sequestration Based on Reactive Transport Studies of Natural Systems,” Geological Society of America Fall Meeting, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 42, 5, invited, Denver, Colorado, 2010.
• Johnson, N. C, B. Thomas, K. Maher, T. Kendelewicz, D. K. Bird, R. B. Rosenbauer, and G. E. Brown, Jr. “Kinetics of Mg-silicate Carbonation for the Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide,” Abstr. ACS Ann. Mtg., San Francisco, CA, 2010.
• Johnson, N. C, B. Thomas, K. Maher, D. K. Bird, R. B. Rosenbauer, and G. E. Brown, Jr. “Kinetics of Olivine Carbonation at 60°C and 100 bar,” Abstr. Prog. Geol. Soc. Am. Ann. Mtg., Portland, OR, 2009.
• Newberg, J. T., Starr, D. E., Mysak, E., Yamamoto, S., Kaya, S., Ogasawara, H., Kendelewicz, T., Porsgaard, S., Salmeron, M., Brown, Jr., G. E., Nilsson, A., and H. Bluhm. “The interaction of H₂O and Geologic Sequestration of CO₂ with MgO (100) Films,” Gordon Research Conference on Chemical Reactions on Solids, Ventura, CA, 2009.
• Brown, Jr., G .E. “Environmental Surface Chemistry – Introductory Comments,” Gordon Research Conference on Chemical Reactions on Solids, Ventura, CA, 2009.