Emissions reveal a constructive side

• Autores: Richard Schiffman
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3067, 2016, pág. 10
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Launched last week, a pilot plant at the University of Newcastle near Sydney, Australia, will test the commercial potential of mineral carbonation, a process that forms stable materials by chemically binding CO^sub 2^ to minerals containing calcium or magnesium. The plant will bind the gas into crushed serpentinite rocks to create magnesium carbonate, which can be used to produce cement, paving stones and plasterboard. The process happens naturally when rocks are gradually weathered by exposure to CO^sub 2^ in the air. This helped cut the proportion of the gas in the ancient atmosphere to levels low enough for life to flourish, says Geoff Brent, senior scientist at Orica.