Synthesis Properties of Feco3: Understanding the Underground Reactive Rock

Abstract

Combatting anthropogenic CO2 emissions is one of the humanities considerable challenges, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are one of the tools that has been proposed for this. FeCO3 is attracting attention as it has been proposed to be a potential storage unit for CO2 injection in underground basaltic rock. Through mineral carbonation, dissolved CO2 reacts with underground reactive divalent metal-containing rock. However, the properties of FeCO3 is not well understood, and optimal permanent storage hinges on knowledge of the properties of the reactive species. We investigate the influence of synthesis parameters through a variation study, such as temperature, synthesis duration, and pressure. We then investigate the material properties, where the crystal structure and crystalline domains size is examined through XRD, thermal degradation stability with TGA and particle size with SEM. Through this investigation, a fundamental understanding of FeCO3 was gained, which will enhance the understanding of underground storage in reactive basaltic rock.