#carbonates

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Lakes that are rich in carbonates and phosphorous, such as Mono Lake in California, are thought to have been common on early Earth, perhaps providing an environment for life to form.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Cascades with carbon dioxide: Making substances out of CO2

Making substances Out of CO2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not just an undesirable greenhouse gas, it is also an interesting source of raw materials that are valuable and can be recycled sustainably. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Spanish researchers have now introduced a novel catalytic process for converting CO2 into valuable chemical intermediates in the form of cyclic carbonates.

Getting CO2 to react is unfortunately not easy. Currently, most research is focused on the conversion of CO2 into methanol, which can be used as an alternative fuel as well as a feedstock for the chemical industry. Innovative catalytic processes could allow CO2 to be converted into valuable chemical compounds without taking a detour through methanol, perhaps for the production of biodegradable plastics or pharmaceutical intermediates.

One highly promising approach is the conversion of CO2 into organic carbonates, which are compounds that contain a building block derived from carbonic acid, comprising carbon atom attached to three oxygen atoms. Researchers working with Arjan W. Kleij at the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (Barcelona), the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Tarragona), and the Catalan Institute of Research and Advanced Studies (Barcelona), have developed a conceptually new process to produce carbonates in the form of six-membered rings, starting from CO2 and basic, easily accessible building blocks. These cyclic carbonates have great potential for the creation of new CO2-based polycarbonates.

Read more.

[mineralogasm]

Dawsonite (NaAlCO3(OH)2) with fluorite (CaF2), Francon quarry, Montréal, Québec, Canada

[geologyjohnson]

Here is the line art for the stuid the ooid design, feel free to download and have a go at colouring it in! If you do, please tag me so I can see your work!

[sparkel-dog]

I went to the Denver Museum today, here's my first batch of photos from the rock and mineral section.

[relatetorocks]

[mineralogasm]

Strontianite with calcite and fluorite from Illinois, USA