What the review covers
Norouzpour, Santos and Chiang compare mechanical, chemical, thermal and combined activation methods for carbon mineralisation using several types of mine tailings.
What the authors found
Activation can improve mineral dissolution and carbonation, but the response depends on mineralogy. Grinding, heating and reagents introduce different energy, cost and environmental burdens. The authors conclude that no single activation method is universally optimal.
Limits to deployment
The review describes laboratory and small-pilot evidence, with significant barriers to wider deployment. Energy demand, reagent recovery, slow reactions and the distance between tailings and CO₂ sources affect the overall benefit.
Further research proposed
The authors recommend field trials, heat recovery, reagent recycling and integrated life-cycle and techno-economic assessment.