Carbonation of Silicate Minerals and Industrial Wastes and Their Potential Use as Sustainable Construction Materials

One of the permanent methods to store anthropogenic CO2 is to convert it into thermodynamically stable mineral carbonates. Depending on the reaction pathways and the reaction conditions such as temperature, partial pressure of CO2, composition and concentration of the reaction fluid and reactants, different phases of magnesium and calcium carbonates can be formed with tuned chemistry and structures. Naturally occurring silicate minerals such as olivine (Mg2SiO4), serpentine (Mg-3(OH)(4)(Si3O5)) and wollastonite (CaSiO3) as well as alkaline industrial wastes can be used to capture and store CO2. Furthermore, the tailored formation of carbonates and their by-products such as silica would allow their utilization in various applications including construction materials. Some studies have shown that the mechanical strength of construction materials can be sustained or even improved with the addition of carbonated materials and Si-rich by-products. This chapter introduces different carbonation pathways and the chemical and physical properties of carbonation products for the application in construction materials.