Unit APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALOGY
- Course
- Geology for energy resources
- Study-unit Code
- A002118
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Paola Comodi
- Teachers
-
- Paola Comodi
- Hours
- 42 ore - Paola Comodi
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2020
- Offered
- 2021/22
- Learning activities
- Affine/integrativa
- Area
- Attività formative affini o integrative
- Academic discipline
- GEO/06
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- English
- Contents
- The course will introduce the fundamental concepts of the mineralogy as a base to characterize and interpret natural and anthropogenic processes having environmental implications.
Case studies:
1. Post mining and industrial contamination Release of heavy metal from Mining and metallurgy Acid mine drainage from oxidation and weathering of was troch and mine tailing. Remediation methods
2. Exchanged minerals: Micro and meso porous material. Clays, zeolites, clatrates. Crystal structure, crystal chemistry, absorption properties, ionic exchange properties, catalysis. Their use in environmental and industrial applications
3. Hazardous minerals in nature and in working places: asbestos, free silica. Environmental monitoring, assessment, mineral quantification, disposal.
4. Mineral dust. Origin and characterization. Implications for the paleoclimatic and environmental reconstructions of the investigations of mineral dust entrapped in polar ice.
5. Carbon Capture and Sequestration CCS. CO2 storage-Mineral carbonatation. Current state of-the-art of CO2 capture, transport, and storage and focuses on mineral carbonation, a novel method for safe and permanent CO2 sequestration. Reactions of CO2 with calcium or magnesium oxides or hydroxides to form stable carbonate material.
6. fly and bottom ashes from coal and biomass. Chemical- Physical characterization. Toxic potential and strategy for their reuse. - Reference texts
- pubblications provided by the teacher
- Educational objectives
- To know the fundamental concepts of the mineralogy as a base to characterize and interpret natural and anthropogenic processes having environmental implications.
- Prerequisites
- Bacis concepts of mineralogy and geochemistry
- Teaching methods
- frontal lessons
- Learning verification modality
- oral examination
- Extended program
- Minerals are the main repositories of the chemical elements in Earth and are the main sources of elements needed for the development of civilization, contaminant and pollutant elements. The elements are released from minerals through natural processes, such as chemical weathering, and anthropogenic activities, such as mining and energy production, agriculture and industrial activities, and careless waste disposal.
Minerals are of paramount importance in cycling of the elements because their storage or release from primary minerals in crustal rocks is related to structural and compositional transformations in response to physical, chemical, and biological processes that produce secondary minerals and soils. These processes have resulted in the release of toxic elements (for example arsenic in groundwater aquifers), which is having a major impact on the health of millions of people. On the other hand minerals can represent peerless ways to solve increasingly environmental problems such to CO2 storage CO2 (mineral carbonatation) or CH4 (clathares) as well to reduce and commute different type of wastes.
The course will introduce the fundamental concepts of the mineralogy as a base to characterize and interpret natural and anthropogenic processes having environmental implications.
Case studies:
1. Post mining and industrial contamination Release of heavy metal from Mining and metallurgy Acid mine drainage from oxidation and weathering of was troch and mine tailing. Remediation methods
2. Exchanged minerals: Micro and meso porous material. Clays, zeolites, clatrates. Crystal structure, crystal chemistry, absorption properties, ionic exchange properties, catalysis. Their use in environmental and industrial applications
3. Hazardous minerals in nature and in working places: asbestos, free silica. Environmental monitoring, assessment, mineral quantification, disposal.
4. Mineral dust. Origin and characterization. Implications for the paleoclimatic and environmental reconstructions of the investigations of mineral dust entrapped in polar ice.
5. Carbon Capture and Sequestration CCS. CO2 storage-Mineral carbonatation. Current state of-the-art of CO2 capture, transport, and storage and focuses on mineral carbonation, a novel method for safe and permanent CO2 sequestration. Reactions of CO2 with calcium or magnesium oxides or hydroxides to form stable carbonate material.
6. fly and bottom ashes from coal and biomass. Chemical- Physical characterization. Toxic potential and strategy for their reuse.