Carbonate formation in non-aqueous environments by solid-gas carbonation of silicates

¹ Astrophysics Group, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
² Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0DE, UK

Abstract

We have produced synthetic analogues of cosmic silicates using the Sol Gel method, producing amorphous silicates of composition Mg_(x)Ca_(1−x)SiO₃. Using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction on Beamline I11 at the Diamond Light Source, together with a newly-commissioned gas cell, real-time powder diffraction scans have been taken of a range of silicates exposed to CO₂ under non-ambient conditions. The SXPD is complemented by other techniques including Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy and SEM imaging.