Evaluation of an accelerated mineral carbonation process using Class F fly ash to sequester flue gas CO2

Accelerated mineral carbonation (AMC) processes have been recommended as a mitigation technique to reduce coal-fired flue gas carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. This research concerns an AMC process which reacts humid flue gas with fly ash in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). In theory the alkaline products in the fly ash will react with the CO2 in the flue gas, producing stable mineral carbonates. Although the original goal of the current testing was to optimize an AMC process, recent testing revealed no significant mineralization taking place over the duration of the tests. Further evaluation of the AMC process indicated that small amounts of available alkalinity in the fly ash and limited amounts of water in the flue gas compromised the mineralization reactions. The use of a FBR coupled with an elemental analyzer for carbon measurement may have resulted in quantifying movement of unburned carbon as opposed to changes in carbonation. A subsequent review of previous testing regarding this AMC process indicated less than 1% CO2 uptake by the fly ash with past claims of mineralization based on incorrect data reduction. In general, AMC processes prove to be impractical for the reduction of large quantities of CO2 emissions produced by coal-fired power plants.