Carbon mineralization, in the context of carbon sequestration topics, refers to the suite of geochemical and geomicrobiological processes by which inorganic carbon, typically as dissolved CO₂ or bicarbonate, is transformed into stable carbonate minerals such as calcite, magnesite, or siderite. It proceeds via reactions between CO₂-bearing fluids and metal cations (e.g., Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺) derived from silicate or oxide minerals, often involving dissolution–precipitation mechanisms controlled by pH, alkalinity, temperature, and fluid–rock ratios. Carbon mineralization is studied as a thermodynamically favorable, long-term CO₂ storage pathway in natural and engineered subsurface systems.
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