Minerals as Materials

Course goals

Please note: the information in the course manual is binding.

The course has the following four aims:

• Gain knowledge about current research themes and methods in mineralogy, mineral physics and material science.
• Learn how to apply quantitative models to answer mineralogical and material science questions.
• Gain awareness of analytical techniques available to study mineralogical research questions.
• Acquire the ability to understand and critically examine scientific literature in this field.

Content

This course will cover the following topics:

 

1. Crystallography, including point and space groups for crystal symmetry, reciprocal lattice.
2. Solid-state physics, including bonding and electronic structure of solids, surface to bulk properties of materials.
3. Advanced analytical tools, including electron microscopy and spectroscopic methods.
4. Modelling mineral systems, including thermodynamic simulations.
5. Mineral-fluid interaction.
6. Amorphous materials.
7. Hot topics at the overlap between mineralogical and material science (e.g., zeolites, carbon-phases, perovskite).

These topics will be linked to case studies that cover both fundamental and applied mineralogy as well as material science. Case study
examples include: interfacial processes during mineral nucleation and growth, , and the control of minerals on the distribution of economic mineral deposits, geothermal energy and CO2 sequestration as well as nuclear waste disposal. By the end of this course, the student will be able to apply and critically evaluate physical concepts coupled with state-of-the-art analytics and modelling to address research questions in mineral science.

Development of transferable skills

 

• • Written communications skills: The coursework of this course includes a written component, both as practical reports and a scientific abstract writing exercise in which phrasing, grammar etc. is also part of the grading scheme. Students are expected to hand in a first draft on which they receive feedback on the science and writing style from the lecturers before handing in the final version.
  • Problem-solving and quantitative skills: throughout the lectures and practical sessions students are given tasks that require mathematical, kinesthetic and/or reasoning methods to approach the problems and find the solution. This includes examining/processing data. In addition, the students will work with the MAGEMin software for phase equilibrium modelling.
  • Technical skills: the students are introduced to the following analytical techniques during the course: SEM, TEM, EPMA,  Raman spectroscopy.