Abstract: Disclosed are processes and systems for sequestering carbon dioxide from a flue gas effluent from a parent process such as a coal-fired electric power plant. In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a mineral having a metal is dissolved with an acid to provide a solution having a predetermined pH. Carbon dioxide from the flue gas effluent and a base are added to the solution to provide a metal carbonate reaction to precipitate a metal carbonate, e.g., magnesium carbonate, from the solution. Heat, which may be supplied by the flue gas effluent, is used to power a base management system for recovering used base form the process.

Abstract: Methods of synthesizing a diamond material, particularly nanocrystalline diamond, diamond-like carbon and bucky diamond are provided. In particular embodiments, a composition including a carbon source, such as coal, is subjected to addition of energy, such as high energy reactive milling, producing a milling product enriched in hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous diamond-like carbon compared to the coal. A milling product is treated with heat, acid and/or base to produce nanocrystalline diamond and/or crystalline diamond-like carbon. Energy is added to produced crystalline diamond-like carbon in particular embodiments to produce bucky diamonds.