Quantitative identification of metastable magnesium carbonate minerals by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy.

In the conversion of CO2 to mineral carbonates for the permanent geosequestration of CO2, there are multiple magnesium carbonate phases that are potential reaction products. Solid-state (13)C NMR is demonstrated as an effective tool for distinguishing magnesium carbonate phases and quantitatively characterizing magnesium carbonate mixtures. Several of these mineral phases include magnesite, hydromagnesite, dypingite, and nesquehonite, which differ in composition by the number of waters of hydration or the number of crystallographic hydroxyl groups.

In situ measurement of magnesium carbonate formation from CO2 using static high-pressure and -temperature 13C NMR.

We explore a new in situ NMR spectroscopy method that possesses the ability to monitor the chemical evolution of supercritical CO(2) in relevant conditions for geological CO(2) sequestration. As a model, we use the fast reaction of the mineral brucite, Mg(OH)(2), with supercritical CO(2) (88 bar) in aqueous conditions at 80 °C. The in situ conversion of CO(2) into metastable and stable carbonates is observed throughout the reaction.