Unit APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALOGY
- Course
- Geology for energy resources
- Study-unit Code
- A002118
- Location
- PERUGIA
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Azzurra Zucchini
- Teachers
-
- Azzurra Zucchini
- Hours
- 42 ore - Azzurra Zucchini
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2021
- Offered
- 2022/23
- 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 mineralogy as a basis for characterizing and interpreting natural and anthropogenic processes, with implications for the environment.
Case studies:
1. Post mining and industrial contamination.
Release of heavy metal from mining and metallurgy. Acid mine drainage from oxidation and weathering of debris residuals and mine-tailing. Remediation methods.
2. Micro and meso porous materials.
Clays, zeolites, clathrates. Crystal structure, crystal chemistry, absorption properties, ion-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 through investigations of mineral dust entrapped in polar ice.
5. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
State-of-the-art methods for CO2 capture, transport, and storage with a focus on mineral carbonation as a novel method for safe and permanent CO2 sequestration. Reactions of CO2 with calcium/magnesium oxides/hydroxides towards the formation of stable carbonate material.
6. Fly and bottom ashes from coal and biomass.
Chemical-physical characterization. Toxic potential and strategy for their reuse. - Reference texts
- Material provided by the teacher.
- Educational objectives
- Knowledge of the fundamental concepts of mineralogy as a basis for characterizing and interpreting natural and anthropogenic processes, with implications for the environment.
- Prerequisites
- Basic concepts of mineralogy and geochemistry
- Teaching methods
- frontal lessons
- Other information
- Learning verification modality
- oral examination
- Extended program
- Minerals are the main repositories of chemical elements in Earth and they are the main sources of elements needed for the development of civilization as well as of contaminating and polluting elements. The elements are released from minerals through natural processes (Eg: chemical weathering) and anthropogenic activities (Es: mining and energy production, agriculture, industrial activities, and careless waste disposal). Minerals are of paramount importance in the elements’ cycle. Their storage/release from primary minerals in crustal rocks is related to structural and compositional transformations in response to physical, chemical, and biological processes that lead to the formation of secondary minerals and soils. These processes also result in the release of toxic elements (Eg: 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 way to solve increasingly environmental problems such as the storage of either CO2 (mineral carbonatation) or CH4 (clathares), as well as to reduce and convert different type of wastes.
The course will introduce the fundamental concepts of mineralogy as a basis for characterizing and interpreting natural and anthropogenic processes, with implications for the environment.
Case studies:
1. Post mining and industrial contamination.
Release of heavy metal from mining and metallurgy. Acid mine drainage from oxidation and weathering of debris residuals and mine-tailing. Remediation methods.
2. Micro- and meso-porous materials.
Clays, zeolites, clathrates. Crystal structure, crystal chemistry, absorption properties, ion-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 through investigations of mineral dust entrapped in polar ice.
5. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
State-of-the-art methods for CO2 capture, transport, and storage with a focus on mineral carbonation as a novel method for safe and permanent CO2 sequestration. Reactions of CO2 with calcium/magnesium oxides/hydroxides towards the formation of stable carbonate material.
6. Fly and bottom ashes from coal and biomass.
Chemical-physical characterization. Toxic potential and strategy for their reuse.