Theme: Clay Science

Applications of Clays and Clay Minerals from the Nano to Macro Scale in Natural or Engineered Barriers

Convenors: Dr. Birgit Schampera; Dr. Jeanne Percival; Dr. Rosa Torres Sanchez

Description:
Clays and clay minerals can form natural barriers that prevent migration of deleterious elements to the surface environment, as for example alteration haloes surrounding ore deposits. These natural barriers provide opportunistic analogues for study. Clays and clay minerals have also been the focus of intensive research into engineered barriers for landfill sites such as in situ soil–bentonite, cement–bentonite, vertical cut off walls commonly used in the disposal of low level radioactive waste and for use in repositories for high level nuclear waste disposal. This session focuses on clays and clay minerals that comprise natural or engineered barriers. It will include both invited and contributed presentations. Oral and poster submissions will be accepted on a broad, multidisciplinary range of topics that encompass field, laboratory and numerical modelling. Presentations are particularly encouraged, but not limited to, the following topics: clay characterisation (nano to macro scale); chemical and alteration processes (e.g., oxidation effects, hydration-dehydration processes, thermal stress response, sorption of inorganic/organic complexes); clay thermodynamics (e.g., mass transfer, transport properties, chemical retention, mineral-water interactions, material and solution properties); numerical modelling (e.g., treatment of uncertainties, upscaling processes, transport and sorption processes). The aim of the session is to explore the validation between field and laboratory experiments and measurements to increase the understanding of clays and clay minerals structure and properties.

 

Relationships between clay minerals and organic matter:  from prebiotic molecules synthesis to advanced materials

Convenors: Dr. Jean-Louis Robert (society - GFA; French Clay Group); Dr. Maguy Jaber

Description:
The relationships between clay minerals and organic matter are of growing interest in the field of synthesis of prebiotic molecules, preservation of organic matter in petroleum generation, manufacturing of high-tech sensors, with biomedical applications. The clay-polymer composites are also of increasing interest, as well as functionalized clays. This session will provide an opportunity to take in these ideas, considering in particular the contribution of synthetic clays with controlled properties.

 

Scientific And Industrial Applications of Green Rust Related Compounds And Layered Double Hydroxides

Convenors: Dr. Andrew Christy; Ms. Jean-Marie Genin; Dr. Stuart Mills

Description:
To present the latest science on natural and synthetic green-rust related compounds and layered double hydroxide minerals and their industrial applications. Note 2: Also falls under theme Applied Mineralogy and Materials Science

 

Structural Characterization of Lamellar Compounds

Convenors: Dr Bruno Lansen; Mr. Eric Ferrage; Mr. Douglas McCarty

Description:
Over the last decade or so, structural characterization of layered compounds has benefited from the intrinsic evolution of the commonly used techniques (TEM, XAS, XRD, etc.), and especially from improvements in quantitative methods of data analysis.

In particular, the collation of experimental and computational results allowed reciprocal improvements of both approaches.

Significant progress has come also from the combination of experimental approaches allowing for a thorough characterization of complex and/or very defective lamellar structures, including natural materials and mixed-layered materials.

This session will be devoted to the recent advances of individual techniques, and to new possibilities offered by their combination. New structural interpretations, dynamical properties, and insights into the formation and evolution of such materials in natural environments are also relevant. Materials of interest include, but are not limited to, phyllosilicates, layered oxides, layer double hydroxides, and layered compounds in general.

 

General Session - Clay Science

Convenors: Dr. Sabine Verryn

Description:
This is a general session in Clay Science for submission of abstracts that do not conform with other sessions under the theme of Clay Science.