Production of Metal Carbonate Soil Amendment from Calcium Slag Silicate

A method of forming a soil amendment from calcium slag silicate, the method comprising:

• (a) increasing content of sodium in a bentonite clay via ion exchange by reacting bentonite clay and a sodium salt to provide ion-exchanged sodium bentonite clay, wherein the ion-exchanged sodium bentonite clay comprises both sodium and calcium cations, wherein the ion-exchanged sodium bentonite clay contains sodium ions bonded to a bentonite structure;
• (b) feeding carbon dioxide through a reactor containing a mixture of the calcium slag silicate and the ion-exchanged sodium bentonite clay;
• wherein sodium ions of the ion exchanged sodium bentonite clay adsorb carbon dioxide and form sodium carbonate;
• (c) feeding calcium silicate through the reactor and reacting the calcium silicate with the ion-exchanged sodium bentonite clay in a chain fashion to consume the sodium carbonate and the calcium silicate and form sodium silicate and calcium carbonate;
• (d) reacting the sodium silicate with the carbon dioxide to re-form sodium carbonate and form silicon dioxide;
• and
• (e) combining the generated calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide to form the soil amendment.