Cementing mine waste with minerals!

Justin (M.Sc. student) is busy characterizing cemented ultramafic mine waste and conducting experiments to understand cementation processes and enhance CO2 storage and tailings stability. In the first phase of his research, Justin will carry out a comparative study of cemented kimberlite and serpentinite mine wastes, using physical, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses to provide valuable insight into the formation pathways of the minerals that cement these wastes. Secondly, he will use cylindrical and column experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of practical approaches of coupling organic and inorganic carbon cycling on accelerating the carbonation and cementation of brucite-bearing ultramafic wastes. This research will provide crucial knowledge towards understanding long-term weathering and developing novel approaches to accelerating this process to sequester CO2 and stabilize ultramafic wastes!