The Infrared spectra of minerals (Mineralogical Society monograph)

V C Farmer

Mineralogical Society

Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids that make up the solid part of most solar terrestrial planets. Redox-active elements such as iron, manganese, titanium and sulfur, in these minerals allow them to engage in a wide range of electron-transfer reactions including those mediated by biota or processes involved in palaeo-weathering and biogeochemical cycling. The importance of redox-reactive minerals in many natural and industrial processes has been demonstrated by a plethora of scientific publications and industrial applications in recent decades. In this book, the influence of redox-reactive minerals on key biogeochemical processes and opportunities for their application in environmental technologies are outlined and illustrated in 14 comprehensive chapters. The book will be a key reference for Earth science students, geologists, geochemists and engineers and other researchers and practitioners in this rapidly growing interdisciplinary field.

Redox-reactive Minerals: Properties, Reactions and Applications in Clean Technologies (Emu Notes in Mineralogy)

Science & Math

Earth Sciences

‘The competent mineralogist should possess a profound perception of the complexity of natural materials, he/she should have the necessary knowledge of the ancient and recent geological and physicochemical processes acting on them and on the artifacts produced by human activities, and he/she should master most of the methods and techniques useful for investigating our common heritage.
The chapters contributed to this book recognize the important and diverse contributions of mineralogy to the valorization, characterization, interpretation and conservation of cultural heritage. The book focuses on examples of materials and methodological issues rather than technical/analytical details. The authors have attempted to deal with the cultural heritage materials in chronological order of their technological developments, to relate them to past human activities, and to highlight unresolved problems in need of investigation.’

The Contribution of Mineralogy to Cultural Heritage (Emu Notes in Mineralogy)

Politics & Social Sciences

Archaeology

With the ever increasing spatial resolution in the characterization of microstructures, textures and chemical as well as isotopic patterns and the continuously improving sensitivity and precision in mineral chemical and isotopic analysis, increasing evidence has emerged indicating that phase relations in rocks from high-temperature environments may be modified during exhumation and cooling and that the original equilibrium phase relations may not have been preserved or that equilibrium may never have been attained fully even at high temperatures. This volume accompanies an EMU School intended bring contemporary research on mineral reaction kinetics to the attention of young researchers and to put it into the context of recent developments in related disciplines. The school and the accompanying volume cannot give a comprehensive review of the current state of geomaterials research. Rather a selection of topics, methods and concepts, which the contributors deem currently most relevant and instructive, is presented. The aim is to provide a methodologically sound insight into the theoretical foundations of mineral reaction kinetics, to help students to become acquainted with contemporary methods in experimentation and analytical techniques, and to give worked examples that illustrate recent advances in geoscience based on an improved characterization and understanding of mineral and rock systems.

Mineral reaction kinetics: Microstructures, textures, chemical and isotopic signatures (Emu Notes in Mineralogy)

Asbestos is probably one of the most studied substances ever. Asbestos is synonymous with argument and controversy: it is magic but feared, essential but dreaded, a strategic natural raw material but a source of concern and hazard; it is banned but still used safely, and so the list goes on. Asbestos-related diseases are certainly of significant concern in terms of occupational and public health. Asbestos World Health Organisation officials estimate that 125,000,000 people worldwide are exposed annually to asbestos in occupational settings, and &gt;100,000 people die annually of diseases associated with asbestos exposure. Use of asbestos has been banned in most developed countries, but chrysotile asbestos is still used in many developing countries.
This book presents the state of the art in the vast multidisciplinary research field of asbestos and of mineral fibres in general. The protagonists of the book are the mineral fibres with their immense complexity and poorly understood biochemical interactions. The approach of the chemist/mineralogist/crystallographer puts the fibre in focus whereas the approach of the biochemist/toxicologist/doctor assumes the perspective of the organism interacting with the fibre. The perspectives of both the ‘invader’ and the ‘invaded’ must be considered together to establish a conclusive model to explain the toxicity of mineral fibres. In fact, this sharing of different perspectives and working in a multidisciplinary way is the key to understanding the mechanism of asbestos-induced carcinogenesis

Mineral fibres: Crystal chemistry, chemical-physical properties, biological interaction and toxicity (Emu Notes in Mineralogy)

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Diseases & Physical Ailments