Carbon mineralization using plagioclase feldspar-rich mine tailings: characterization and cation extraction

Global efforts to combat climate change call for methods to capture and store CO2. Meanwhile, the global transition away from fossil energy will result in increased production of tailings (i.e., wastes) from the mining of nickel and platinum group metals (PGMs). Through carbon mineralization, CO2 can be permanently stored in calcium- and magnesium-bearing mine tailings. The Stillwater mine in Nye, Montana produces copper, nickel, and PGMs, along with 1 Mt of tailings each year. Stillwater tailings samples have been characterized, revealing that they contain a variety of mineral phases, most notably Ca-bearing plagioclase feldspar. Increases in inorganic carbon in the tailings and ion concentration in the tailings storage facilities suggest carbonation has taken place at ambient conditions over time within the tailings storage facilities. Two experiments were performed to simulate carbon mineralization at ambient temperature and pressure with elevated CO2 concentration (10% with N2), revealing that less than 1% of the silicate-bound calcium within the tailings is labile, or easily released from silicate structures at low-cost ambient conditions. The Stillwater tailings could be useful for developing strategies of waste management as production of nickel and PGM minerals increases during the global transition away from fossil energy, but further work is needed to develop a process that can realize their full carbon storage potential.

Download Full-text

Carbon Mineralization in Ultramafic Mine Tailings: A Pathway to Negative Greenhouse Gas Emissions

10.46427/gold2020.587 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gregory Dipple ◽

Xueya Lu ◽

Sterling Vanderzee ◽

Eric Wynands ◽

Durjoy Baidya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Mine Tailings ◽

Carbon Mineralization ◽

Gas Emissions

Download Full-text

Elemental mass loss in silicate minerals during x-ray analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100177155 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 804-805

Author(s):

P.E. Champness ◽

R.W. Devenish

Keyword(s):

Mass Loss ◽

Current Density ◽

Damage Mechanism ◽

Beam Current ◽

Single Chain ◽

Plagioclase Feldspar ◽

X Ray ◽

Alkali Ions ◽

Structural Order ◽

Sheet Silicate

It has long been recognised that silicates can suffer extensive beam damage in electron-beam instruments. The predominant damage mechanism is radiolysis. For instance, damage in quartz, SiO2, results in loss of structural order without mass loss whereas feldspars (framework silicates containing Ca, Na, K) suffer loss of structural order with accompanying mass loss. In the latter case, the alkali ions, particularly Na, are found to migrate away from the area of the beam. The aim of the present study was to investigate the loss of various elements from the common silicate structures during electron irradiation at 100 kV over a range of current densities of 104 - 109 A m−2. (The current density is defined in terms of 50% of total current in the FWHM probe). The silicates so far ivestigated are:- olivine [(Mg, Fe)SiO4], a structure that has isolated Si-O tetrahedra, garnet [(Mg, Ca, Fe)3Al2Si3AO12 another silicate with isolated tetrahedra, pyroxene [-Ca(Mg, Fe)Si2O6 a single-chain silicate; mica [margarite, -Ca2Al4Si4Al4O2O(OH)4], a sheet silicate, and plagioclase feldspar [-NaCaAl3Si5O16]. Ion- thinned samples of each mineral were examined in a VG Microscopes UHV HB501 field- emission STEM. The beam current used was typically - 0.5 nA and the current density was varied by defocussing the electron probe. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectra were collected every 10 seconds for a total of 200 seconds using a Link Systems windowless detector. The thickness of the samples in the area of analysis was normally 50-150 nm.

Download Full-text