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Paul ReginatoBackerHi Robert, I'm reviewing your project on behalf of Prime Coalition! I'm wondering if you could explain why you think biorock could be carbon negative when it is now carbon emissive, and why your approach is likely to find a way to make it carbon negative. Thank you!Jul 17, 20230
Robert DuffResearcherHi Paul! There is some discussion that theorizes that by selectively producing brucite, the generation of hydrogen ions responsible for carbon emission can be limited and the overall process becomes carbon negative. To my knowledge, there is little to no exploration into this and so my aim is to determine the validity of these theories.Jul 18, 20230- Paul ReginatoBackerHi Robert, thanks for the quick reply! Can you please explain in more detail what the theory is and why your approach will validate it? Brucite is very alkaline, so producing it is expected to produce H+ right? I need to understand how your proposed experiment works before we would be willing to fund. Thanks!Jul 18, 20230
- Robert DuffResearcherIn some informal discussions, Thomas Goreau talks about how its possible that under the generation of brucite, due to high pH at the cathode, the main reactions would be: Mg++ + 2OH- = Mg(OH)2 Ca++ + CO3-- = CaCO3 OH- + HCO3- = CO3-- + H2O 2H2O + 2Cl- = H2 + Cl2 + 2OH- instead of H2O + Cl- = 2H+ + Cl- + ClO- There is some belief that under these conditions, chlorine is oxidized to provide the hydroxide ions rather than the oxidation of water. Assuming this is the case, the emission of CO2 from the interactions of H+ normally generated from the ionization of water could be essentially neglected. While this is the theory, there could be unmeasured kinetic inhibitions that prevent this.Jul 20, 20230
- Paul ReginatoBackerThanks! Would the Cl2 be toxic to the marine environment? And why wouldn't the Cl2 later react with the surrounding waters to form HCl and HOCl, which are acids that would result in net CO2 emission?Jul 23, 20230
- Robert DuffResearcherThese are things we hope to quantify through our experiment which would be done in an isolated, simulated-seawater environment in order to avoid any such risks and allow for regular sampling to monitor the reaction products.Jul 25, 20230
David LangBacker*FootPrint* Coalition's Negative Emmisions Technology grant opportunity, for clarification.Jul 20, 20231- Paul ReginatoBackercorrection: Footprint Coalition. Typo there, sorry!Jul 20, 20230
