Geological sequestration of carbon dioxide in Deccan basalts: preliminary laboratory study

• Published in: Current science (Bangalore) Vol. 96; no. 2; pp. 288 - 291
• Main Authors: Prasad, P. S. R., Sarma, D. Srinivasa, Sudhakar, L., Basavaraju, U., Singh, Ravi S., Begum, Zahida, Archana, K. B., Chavan, C. D., Charan, S. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Current Science Association 25-01-2009
• Subjects: Basalt; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sequestration; Carbonates; Carbonation; Geology; India, Maharashtra; Industrial research; Laboratory testing; Minerals; Olivine; Q1; Q3; Reactivity; RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS; Spectroscopy; Temperature; Volcanoes
• ISSN: 0011-3891

Laboratory experiments to probe the carbon dioxide sequestration potential of picritic basalts from the Deccan Basalt volcanic province, Maharashtra are reported. Growth of certain secondary carbonates is clearly seen over the surface of picritic basalts, reacted with water and carbon dioxide in its supercritical condition. The reactions were kept for about 5 months duration at a temperature and pressure of 100°C and 60 bar of CO₂ respectively. Handpicked soft grains of secondary carbonates were characterized using infrared spectroscopy and the observed signatures in two of the picritic basalt samples (IGP-40 and IGP-29) match well with ankerite (Fe-carbonate), with negligibly small amounts of released SiO₂. While in another sample (IGP-36), the secondary carbonates have comparatively larger amounts of SiO₂.