Synthetic Magnesite : A Strategic Mineral for Industrial CO₂ Storage "Indirect Accelerated Carbonation of Ultramafic Rocks"





The sustainable reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions is one of the major challenges of the energy transition. Among the strategies being explored, mineral carbonation involves converting CO₂ into stable minerals capable of trapping it over the long term.



Figure 1. Schematic diagram flow of materials used in three fundamental, interdependent steps for iron-magnesite production, and its use as a partial substitute in concrete fabrication. S1 and S2 indicate the two solutions prepared and mixed to mineralize carbon dioxide and produce an iron-magnesite material that can be used as a partial substitute of cement for the fabrication of concrete.


At ISTerre, researchers are particularly interested in the formation of synthetic magnesite (MgCO₃) from magnesium-rich ultramafic rocks, such as peridotites. This process relies on indirect accelerated carbonation, which reproduces a natural CO₂-trapping mechanism in the laboratory, but in a much faster and controlled way.

The goal is to develop an efficient and sustainable process to convert industrial CO₂ into magnesite, a stable and non-polluting mineral. This approach could ultimately help reduce the carbon footprint of industrial activities while also making use of local geological resources. This is particularly relevant for the cement industry, which is a major emitter of CO₂ : by substituting part of the clinker with magnesite during concrete production, it is possible to significantly lower the carbon footprint of the material without substantially compromising its mechanical properties.

The research conducted at ISTerre is part of an international effort focused on carbon capture and storage (CCUS : Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage), and highlights the importance of natural and synthetic minerals in combating climate change.



The full study has been published in ACS Publications

References :

Montes-Hernandez, G. (2025).
Decarbonizing the cement industry is crucial for reducing CO₂ emissions : Myth or reality
Chemical Engineering Journal, 518, 164995.

Montes-Hernandez, G. (2024).
Magnesite formation from nesquehonite slurry at 90 °C using some soluble Mg salts : Eitelite as an atypical transient mineral phase
Chemical Engineering Science, 287, 119776.

Montes-Hernandez, G., Bah, M., & Renard, F. (2020).
Mechanism of the formation of engineered magnesite : A useful mineral to mitigate CO₂ industrial emissions
Journal of CO₂ Utilization, 35, 272–276.

Montes-Hernandez, G., Perez-Lopez, R., Renard, F., Nieto, J.-M., & Charlet, L. (2009).
Mineral sequestration of CO₂ by aqueous carbonation of coal combustion fly ash
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 161, 1347–1354.

Scientific contacts :

  • Germán Montes-Hernandez – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / IRD / Université Grenoble Alpes
  • Jérôme Weiss – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / IRD / Université Grenoble Alpes
  • Sarah Clavier – PhD student at the University of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Besançon (former ISTerre M2R master’s student with Jérôme Weiss and Germán Montes-Hernandez)
  • Benoît Cordonnier – Researcher, ESRF
  • Paul Tafforeau – Researcher, ESRF
  • Olivier Plé – Professor at the Université Savoie-Mont-Blanc and the LOCIE laboratory
  • François Renard - Department of Geosciences Université d’Oslo