Master degree in Materials Science

Technological and environmental applications of minerals

Technological and environmental applications of minerals

Academic year 2021/2022

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Support activities
• Program
• Suggested textbooks and readings
• Notes
• Teaching tools

Course objectives

After attending the course (theoretical lessons and practical activities), the student will know about the technological and environmental applications of minerals, in particular:

1. natural sources of raw materials
2. minerals for the industry, environmental remediation, biomedical purposes
3. application of some laboratory techniques (X-ray powder diffraction, SEM imaging, EDS elemental analysis, AFM surface analysis)

Results of learning outcomes

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

The course aims at providing the student with some basic knowledge about the application of minerals and mineral-like materials to medicine, environmental remediation, and industry.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

During the laboratory sessions, synthesis and characterization of some materials-related mineral phases will be carried out and characterized mainly by X-ray diffraction, imaging, elemental, and, eventually, surface analysis.

Course delivery

Lectures and Laboratory

During the lab lessons, students should bring their notebooks to perform the exercises.

Learning assessment methods

The oral exam consists of a discussion about the topics covered during the classes and the laboratory. Students will prepare short lab reports during the laboratory sessions.

Moreover, students may submit a short presentation (10 minutes max) on a mineral or mineral-like previously agreed with the teacher that will be taken into account during evaluation. This is not a mandatory activity.

If not in presence, the exams will be conducted orally on the Webex platform with active registration.

Support activities

The teacher is available by appointment to discuss, repeat, and clarify the concepts explained in class. Moreover, it will be possible to discuss the short presentation eventually prepared before the exam.

The meetings will be scheduled in attendance or on the WebEx platform.

Program

1. Introduction: why studying minerals in Materials science.
2. Notes on descriptive mineralogy (to level the language).
3. Notes on crystal growth (to level the language).
4. Notes on minerals as non-renewable resources: clays, bentonite, lime, kaolin, feldspar, quartz, rock salt, talc, feldspathic, and silicic sands.
5. Biominerals and biomimetic materials: Medical applications (osteoinduction and osteoconduction). Pathologic mineralization. Some case studies: fluorosis, rheumatoid arthritis
6. Minerals for the environmental remediation: water, air, and soil contamination. Some case studies: Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), carbon capture, arsenic, and heavy metals in water and soil.
7. Minerals for industrial applications: agriculture, food industry, pharmaceutics, ceramics, cement, high-tech, hydrogen storage.
8. Geopolymers.
9. Laboratory: synthesis and characterization of a mineral-like material (zeolite/bioceramic/geopolymer)

International Tables for Crystallography. Volume H. Powder diffraction. Ed. C.J. Gilmore, J.A.Kaduk, H. Schenck

Articles provided during the course

Note

Students are reminded of the prohibition of sharing and dissemination in any form of platform-loaded teaching materials and videoconferencing lessons: any action that violates this norm will be denounced by the teachers to the organs of the University and will be pursued according to the law.
In addition, the link to the videoconferencing lessons (WebEx and the like) must be exclusively through the institutional e-mail and using name and surname.

• Teaching materials
• Exams and finals
• Go to Moodle
• Visit the forums