Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major cause of global warming, have been rising due to industrial development. Carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is regarded as the most effective way to reduce such atmospheric CO2 concentrations, has several environmental and technical disadvantages. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU), which has been introduced to cover such disadvantages, makes it possible to capture CO2, recycling byproducts as resources. However, CCU also requires large amounts of energy in order to induce reactions. Among existing CCU technologies, the process for converting CO2 into CaCO3 requires high temperature and high pressure as reaction conditions. This study proposes a method to fixate CaCO3 stably by using relatively less energy than existing methods. After forming NaOH absorbent solution through electrolysis of NaCl in seawater, CaCO3 was precipitated at room temperature and pressure. Following the experiment, the resulting product CaCO3 was analyzed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR); field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) image and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were also analyzed. The results showed that the CaCO3 crystal product was high-purity calcite. The study shows a successful method for fixating CO2 by reducing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere while forming high-purity CaCO3.

CaCO₃ is often used as an additive in many industries. However, additional functions are required to expand its applicability. This entails modification of its physicochemical properties. Accordingly, in this study, a particle surface modification treatment was performed on CaCO₃ produced from desulfurized gypsum for a range of industrial applications. In the experiment, fatty acids were used to modify the CaCO₃ surface, and the scale of the modification effect was based on the degree of change associated with a polar surface taking on nonpolar surface properties. In the preliminary modification experiment, stearic acid was dissolved in 2-propanol or chloroform, and the extent of the reaction and the active ratio were measured according to the stearic acid concentration. The results showed that the effective active ratio, considering the activity to unit adsorption, was higher in 2-propanol than in chloroform. Consequently, the modification solvent used in the experiment changed the CaCO₃ surface from a hydrophilic, polarized form to a hydrophobic, nonpolarized form. These results will also allow the CaCO₃ produced to be used as a filler in a range of chemical industries.

Blast furnace slag (BFS) was selected as the source of Ca for CO₂ mineralization purposes to store CO₂ as CaCO₃. BFS was dissolved using aqua regia (AR) for leaching metal ions for CO₂ mineralization and rejecting metal ions that were not useful to obtain pure CaCO₃ (as confirmed by XRD analysis). The AR concentration, as well as the weight of BFS in an AR solution, was varied. Increasing the AR concentration resulted in increased metal ion leaching efficiencies. An optimum concentration of 20% AR was required for completely leaching Ca and Mg for a chemical reaction with CO₂ and for suppressing the leaching of impurities for the production of high-purity carbonate minerals. Increasing the liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) resulted in the increased leaching of all metal ions. An optimum L/S of 0.3/0.03 (=10) was required for completely leaching alkaline-earth metal ions for CO₂ mineralization and for retaining other metal ions in the filtered residue. Moreover, the filtrate obtained using 20% AR and an L/S of 0.3/0.03 was utilized as Ca sources for forming carbonate minerals by CO₂ mineralization, affording CaCO₃. The results obtained herein demonstrated the feasibility of the use of AR, as well as increasing pH, for the storage of CO₂ as high-purity CaCO₃.

The effects of CO₂ flow rate and calcium source on the particle size (PS) and specific surface area (SSA) of CaCO₃ particles were evaluated using microbubble generator (MBG) and air diffuser (AD) systems. The carbonate mineralization (CM) and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) methods were employed to produce CaCO₃ using gypsum and Ca(OH)₂ as the calcium sources, respectively. The CaCO₃ particles prepared using the MBG were smaller (with larger specific surface area) than those obtained using the conventional AD, regardless of the calcium source. The average PSs were 2–3 and 7–9 μm for the MBG and AD systems, respectively. Moreover, the PS and SSA of the particles prepared using the MBG were not greatly affected by the CO₂ injection rate. This study clearly demonstrates that the use of an MBG ensures the stable production of fine CaCO₃ particles using various calcium sources and a wider range of CO₂ flow rates.

Chlorine is a critical element with respect to the use of fossil fuel, recycling of industrial wastes, and water purification. Chlorine could form toxic chemical compounds, corrode pipe systems and boilers, and contaminate surface and ground waters. Calcium aluminate-layered double hydroxides are one of the most promising materials to remove chlorides due to the chemisorption mechanism, since the phases have positively charged interlayers. Many studies on the synthesis and the characterization of calcium aluminate-layered double hydroxides have been extensively conducted, whereas few studies have been conducted on the chloride removal characteristics of the phases. The state-of-the-art studies on the synthesis methods and the structural characteristics of CaAl-LDH phases, the underlying mechanism on the removal of chlorides, and the potential removal rate and the capacity in the present study were thoroughly reviewed.

Blast furnace slag (BFS), a calcium-rich industrial byproduct, has been utilized since 2005 as a mineral carbonation feedstock for CO₂ sequestration, producing calcium carbonate precipitates. In this study, the conditions for the dissolution of Ca and Si in acetic acid, and subsequent carbonation, were elaborated. For this purpose, the retardation of the polymerization of silicon was attempted by varying the concentration of acetic acid, temperature, and leaching time. An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis revealed that both the Ca and Si dissolved completely within 30 min in 5% acetic acid at room temperature. This high dissolution value can be attributed to the fact that Ca was bound to O rather than to Si, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The use of CO₂-absorbed monoethanolamine enabled the complete carbonation of BFS at ambient conditions without the need for a pH swing. The presence of dissolved silica was found to affect the polymorphs of the precipitated CaCO₃. We believe that this process offers a simple method for manipulating the composites of products obtained by mineral carbonation diminishing the leaching residues.