Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous liquid and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry at a first pressure to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a slurry comprising a magnesium ion enriched carbonated aqueous liquid and a magnesium depleted solid residue; and c) in a precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from magnesium ions dissolved in step b) by multiple successive stage-wise reductions in pressure, with each stage being at a lower pressure than the preceding stage; wherein each successive stage-wise reduction in pressure releases CO2 which is correspondingly stage-wise compressed and recycled back into the dissolution stage.

Abstract: The present invention describes an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous solution and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) recovering at least a portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue; d) in a separate acid treatment stage, reacting the recovered portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue with a solution comprising a mineral acid or acid salt to further dissolve magnesium and other metals and to provide an acid-treated solid residue; e) recovering the acid-treated solid residue; and f) in a separate precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from the magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution.

Abstract: An integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilization, includes a) providing an aqueous slurry with a particulate solid including an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to provide a slurry comprising a magnesium ion enriched carbonated aqueous liquid and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) subjecting at least part of the magnesium depleted solid residue to a particle size classification process that separates the magnesium depleted solid residue into a fine particle size fraction and a coarse particle size fraction; d) subjecting the coarse particle size fraction to a particle size reduction process; e) providing an aqueous slurry comprising particle size reduced fraction from step d) and repeating step b), wherein this step e) does not include using fine particle size fraction from step c); and f) precipitating magnesium carbonate from magnesium ions dissolved in b) and e).

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous liquid and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry at a first pressure to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a slurry comprising a magnesium ion enriched carbonated aqueous liquid and a magnesium depleted solid residue; and c) in a precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from magnesium ions dissolved in step b) by multiple successive stage-wise reductions in pressure, with each stage being at a lower pressure than the preceding stage; wherein each successive stage-wise reduction in pressure releases CO2 which is correspondingly stage-wise compressed and recycled back into the dissolution stage.

Abstract: An integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilization, includes a) providing an aqueous slurry with a particulate solid including an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to provide a slurry comprising a magnesium ion enriched carbonated aqueous liquid and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) subjecting at least part of the magnesium depleted solid residue to a particle size classification process that separates the magnesium depleted solid residue into a fine particle size fraction and a coarse particle size fraction; d) subjecting the coarse particle size fraction to a particle size reduction process; e) providing an aqueous slurry comprising particle size reduced fraction from step d) and repeating step b), wherein this step e) does not include using fine particle size fraction from step c); and f) precipitating magnesium carbonate from magnesium ions dissolved in b) and e).

Abstract: The present invention describes an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous solution and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) recovering at least a portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue; d) in a separate acid treatment stage, reacting the recovered portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue with a solution comprising a mineral acid or acid salt to further dissolve magnesium and other metals and to provide an acid-treated solid residue; e) recovering the acid-treated solid residue; and f) in a separate precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from the magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution.

Abstract: This application provides a process for mineral carbonation, which process comprises the steps of: providing a bed of hydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral particles in a heating vessel; agitating the bed of particles under conditions of a sub-atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of at least 600° C. to produce particles of dehydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral; and reacting the dehydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral with carbon dioxide, carbonate ions and/or bicarbonate ions to form magnesium carbonate. This application also provides a reactor system for carrying out the process, which includes (1) mineral from mine, (2) hydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral, (3) crushing, grinding, sizing, (4) agitated bed of particles, (5) external heating, (6) vacuum system, (7) from carbon source, (8) carbon dioxide or carbonate or bicarbonate ions in solution, (9) carbonation reactions, (10) carbonate product, (11) pre-heat, (12) heat recovery, and (13) magnetic fraction.

Abstract: This application provides a process for mineral carbonation, which process comprises the steps of: providing a bed of hydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral particles in a heating vessel; agitating the bed of particles under conditions of a sub-atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of at least 600° C. to produce particles of dehydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral; and reacting the dehydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral with carbon dioxide, carbonate ions and/or bicarbonate ions to form magnesium carbonate. This application also provides a reactor system for carrying out the process, which includes (1) mineral from mine, (2) hydroxylated magnesium silicate mineral, (3) crushing, grinding, sizing, (4) agitated bed of particles, (5) external heating, (6) vacuum system, (7) from carbon source, (8) carbon dioxide or carbonate or bicarbonate ions in solution, (9) carbonation reactions, (10) carbonate product, (11) pre-heat, (12) heat recovery, and (13) magnetic fraction.

Abstract: A method of producing an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, which method comprises: providing a flow of liquid energetic material; and delivering sensitizing voids into the flow of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses to provide regions in the liquid energetic material in which sensitizing voids are sufficiently concentrated to render those regions detonable and regions in the liquid energetic material in which the sensitizing voids are not so concentrated.

Abstract: A mobile manufacturing and delivery platform that is adapted to provide in a blasthole an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution. The platform comprises a storage tank for the liquid energetic material; at least two delivery lines for conveying respective streams of the liquid energetic material from the storage tank; a void delivery system for producing sensitizing voids in at least one of the streams of liquid energetic material; a mixer for mixing the streams of liquid energetic material to produce the explosive composition; and a blasthole loading hose. The mixer may be provided at the end of the loading hose. A blasting method employs the platform to manufacture and deliver the explosive composition into a blasthole, which composition is subsequently detonated.

Abstract: A mobile manufacturing and delivery platform that is adapted to provide in a blasthole an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution. The platform comprises a storage tank for the liquid energetic material; at least two delivery lines for conveying respective streams of the liquid energetic material from the storage tank; a void delivery system for producing sensitizing voids in at least one of the streams of liquid energetic material; a mixer for mixing the streams of liquid energetic material to produce the explosive composition; and a blasthole loading hose. The mixer may be provided at the end of the loading hose. A blasting method employs the platform to manufacture and deliver the explosive composition into a blasthole, which composition is subsequently detonated.

Abstract: A method of producing an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, which method comprises: providing a flow of liquid energetic material; and delivering sensitizing voids into the flow of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses to provide regions in the liquid energetic material in which sensitizing voids are sufficiently concentrated to render those regions detonable and regions in the liquid energetic material in which the sensitizing voids are not so concentrated.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for gassing an explosive to sensitise the explosive and/or modify the density of the explosive. The method comprises reacting at least one oxidiser with at least one nitrogen containing compound in the explosive to generate nitrogen gas. The explosive is formulated to effect diffusion of the oxidiser and/or the compound into contact with each other, the nitrogen gas being generated by oxidation of the compound by the oxidiser. The invention extends to the explosive compositions themselves.