Abstract:

Lunch lecture

Title: Energy: from Global scale (TeraJoule) down to atomic level (electron Volts)Date: 5 March 2012 At DifferBy: Innovation Concepts B.V. – Pol KnopsLanguage: Broken English (as usual)

Raising global CO2 emissions and concentrations are causing more problems and more scientific attention.One of the options is the use of natural minerals to “bind” the CO2 into stable and environmental safe end-products. This relatively new field is raising more and more scientific and public attention.This field of mineral sequestration will be explained from a global scale down to the very atomic level.A few interesting facts about the CO2 cycle will be explained. An interesting fact is that various CO2 cycles are almost in balance. The fast burning of long stored fossil fuels causes this rather small, but catastrophic off-balance.One way to counter act this off-balance is to increase the much slower long inorganic cycle. This carbon sequestration option is the most unknown (except for geologic people). This is quite remarkably as this is storing by far the biggest carbon amounts.

A few “routes” to use these minerals will be explained. They vary from very simple and easy solutions up to industrial, highly R&D driven processes.One rather unconventional solution will be explained in more detail. Howard Herzog of MIT has stated this very specific option as "I think it is a very innovative idea.  It makes technical sense and is one of the better ideas I have heard for mineralization."The role of crystal structure will be explained; this can increase or slow down the (geological) reaction rate.

So from the global scale (1E6 meter) we are ending up to atomic level (1E-9 meter).Mankind (1,8E1 meter) is in the middle as both the cause of this “ Anthropocene” and in a position to end this.