A mineral carbonation process, characterised in that the silicate feedstock is thermally activated by using heat generated from the combustion of fuel prior to reacting the activated slurry feedstock with carbon dioxide.

Provided is a microorganism including a gene encoding a protein having a dehalogenase activity, a composition for using in reducing a concentration of fluorinated methane in a sample, the composition including the microorganism including the gene encoding the protein having the dehalogenase activity, and a method of reducing the concentration of fluorinated methane in the sample.

A method for CO.sub.2 capture may include operating a packed reactor comprising a reaction chamber containing packing including immobilized enzymes, by contacting a CO.sub.2 containing gas with a liquid solution in the reaction chamber to produce an ion-loaded solution and a CO.sub.2 depleted gas by an enzymatically catalyzed hydration reaction; monitoring enzyme activity of the immobilized enzymes; at a low enzyme activity threshold (i) stopping operation in the packed reactor, and (ii) replenishing the enzymatic activity by providing an enzyme replenishing solution into the packed reactor to contact the packing and provide a replenishing amount of the immobilized enzymes; and recommencing operation in the packed reactor for CO.sub.2 capture using the replenished immobilized enzymes. A corresponding system may include a packed reactor and an in situ enzyme supply device for supplying active enzyme within the reactor. The enzyme supply device may include spray nozzles with various configurations.

A process for desorbing CO.sub.2 gas from an ion-rich aqueous mixture comprising bicarbonate and hydrogen ions, includes providing micro-particles in the ion-rich aqueous mixture; and feeding the ion-rich aqueous mixture into a desorption reactor; the micro-particles comprising a support material and biocatalysts supported and stabilized by the support material and being sized and provided in a concentration in the desorption reactor such that the micro-particles are carried with the ion-rich aqueous mixture to promote transformation of the bicarbonate and hydrogen ions into CO.sub.2 gas and water, thereby producing a CO.sub.2 gas stream and an ion-depleted solution.

A CO.sub.2 recovery apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an absorption tower comprising a CO.sub.2 absorption unit in which an exhaust gas containing CO.sub.2 and a lean solution comprising an amino group-containing compound are brought into contact with each other to allow the lean solution to absorb CO.sub.2; a regeneration tower in which CO.sub.2 contained in a rich solution is separated to regenerate the rich solution; and a purification unit in which an amino group-containing compound in a CO.sub.2-removed exhaust gas obtained by removing CO.sub.2 in the CO.sub.2 absorption unit is removed from, wherein the purification unit comprises a catalytic unit in which a photocatalyst is supported on a carrier including a gap through which air can pass, an activation member which activates the photocatalyst, and a power supply unit. The activation member is a pair of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode.

A formulation and process for capturing CO.sub.2 use an absorption mixture containing water, biocatalysts and a carbonate compound. The process includes contacting a CO.sub.2-containing gas with the absorption mixture to enable dissolution and transformation of CO.sub.2 into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions, thereby producing a CO.sub.2-depleted gas and an ion-rich solution, followed by subjecting the ion-rich solution to desorption. The biocatalyst improves absorption of the mixture comprising carbonate compounds and the carbonate compound promotes release of the bicarbonate ions from the ion-rich solution during desorption, producing a CO.sub.2 gas stream and an ion-depleted solution.

A mineral carbonation process, characterized in that the silicate feedstock is thermally activated by using heat generated from the combustion of fuel prior to reacting the activated slurry feedstock with carbon dioxide.

An isolated polypeptide having carbonic anhydrase activity, the sequence of which corresponds to modified human carbonic anhydrase II is described. The isolated polypeptide comprises the mutations A23C, S99C, L202C, C205S and V241C and the polypeptide has increased physical stability compared to wild type carbonic anhydrase II. Further, the polypeptide comprises disulfide bridges between C23 and C202 and/or between C99 and C241.

Provided is a method for activating an oxygenase-containing composition, characterized by dissolving or dispersing a composition containing oxygenase in an aqueous medium containing oxygen in an amount that exceeds the saturated dissolved oxygen concentration in an atmospheric environment at normal temperature and normal pressure.

A formulation and process for capturing CO.sub.2 use an absorption mixture containing water, biocatalysts and a carbonate compound. The process includes contacting a CO.sub.2-containing gas with the absorption mixture to enable dissolution and transformation of CO.sub.2 into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions, thereby producing a CO.sub.2-depleted gas and an ion-rich solution, followed by subjecting the ion-rich solution to desorption. The biocatalyst improves absorption of the mixture comprising carbonate compounds and the carbonate compound promotes release of the bicarbonate ions from the ion-rich solution during desorption, producing a CO.sub.2 gas stream and an ion-depleted solution.