Search results for "MINERALOGY"
showing 10 items of 1516 documents
Escape of Supercritical-CO2 Fluids Trapped in Calcite Nano-metric Pores
2019
Flow of supercritical CO2-bearing fluids through a rock is a fundamental phenomenon which acts upon a great many geological processes ranging from seismic activity to formation of ore deposits. Atomic Force Microscopy scanning experiments allowed us to infer movement of supercritical CO2-bearing fluids through calcite crystals and relate it to natural decrepitation of nanoscale fluid inclusions. Calculated velocities exceed the rate of diffusion predicated via current vacancy models by several orders of magnitude implying that CO2-rich fluid movement through micro and nano-pore space may presently be greatly underestimated.
The Understanding of the Metazoan Skeletal System, Based on the Initial Discoveries with Siliceous and Calcareous Sponges
2017
Initiated by studies on the mechanism of formation of the skeletons of the evolutionary oldest still extant multicellular animals, the sponges (phylum Porifera) have provided new insights into the mechanism of formation of the Ca-phosphate/hydroxyapatite skeleton of vertebrate bone. Studies on the formation of the biomineral skeleton of sponges revealed that both the formation of the inorganic siliceous skeletons (sponges of the class of Hexactinellida and Demospongiae) and of the calcareous skeletons (class of Calcarea) is mediated by enzymes (silicatein: polymerization of biosilica; and carbonic anhydrase: deposition of Ca-carbonate). Detailed studies of the initial mineralization steps i…
Isotopic composition of cattle pancreatic stones: biological and geochemical implications.
1977
Latitudinal variations of the O18/O16-ratios of carbonate and phosphate of cattle pancreatic stones parallel a similar pattern of oxygen isotope values in rain water. C13/C12-ratios were virtually identical for the 7 cases studied. Isotopic measurements of mammalian hard tissues may be used for studying short-term climatic variations through Quaternary.
Crystallized nano-sized alpha-tricalcium phosphate from amorphous calcium phosphate: microstructure, cementation and cell response
2015
New insight on the conversion of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) to nano-sized alpha tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) provides a faster pathway to calcium phosphate bone cements. In this work, synthesized ACP powders were treated with either water or ethanol, dried, crystallized between 700 and 800 °C, and then cooled at different cooling rates. Particle size was measured in a scanning electron microscope, but crystallite size calculated by Rietveld analysis. Phase composition and bonding in the crystallized powder was assessed by x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that 50 nm sized α-TCP formed after crystallization of lyophilized powders. Water trea…
Influence of surface porosity and pH on bacterial adherence to hydroxyapatite and biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramics
2008
Hydroxyapatite (HA) and biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic materials are widely employed as bone substitutes due to their porous and osteoconductive structure. Their porosity and the lowering of surrounding pH as a result of surgical trauma may, however, predispose these materials to bacterial infections. For this reason, the influence of porosity and pH on the adherence of common Gram-positive bacteria to the surfaces of these materials requires investigation. Mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements revealed that the pore size distribution of both bioceramics had, on a logarithmic scale, a sinusoidal frequency distribution ranging from 50 to 300 nm, with a mean pore diameter of 20…
Experimental study of Si–Al substitution in calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) prepared under equilibrium conditions.
2009
International audience; C-A-S-H of varying Al/Si and Ca/(Al+Si) ratios have been prepared introducing C-S-H (Ca/Si=0.66 and 0.95) at different weight concentrations in a solution coming from the hydration of tricalcium aluminate (Ca3Al2O6) in water. XRD and EDX (TEM) analyses show that using this typical synthesise procedure, pure C-A-S-H is obtained only for calcium hydroxide concentrations below 4.5 mmol L−1. Otherwise, calcium carboaluminate or strätlingite is also present beside C-A-S-H. The tobermorite-like structure is maintained for C-A-S-H. A kinetic study has shown that the formation of C-A-S-H is a fast reaction, typically less than a few hours. The Ca/(Al+Si) ratio of C-A-S-H mat…
Origin of clay minerals in soils on pyroclastic deposits in the island of Lipari (Italy)
2005
The island of Lipari (Italy) is characterized by calc-alkaline to potassic volcanism and a Mediterranean-type climate. The mineralogical and chemical features of two different soil profiles with ages of 92,000 and 10,000–40,000 y, respectively, have been investigated. There were no Andisols, but Vitric and Vertic Cambisols have developed at both sites. Although the morphology of the soils was similar, remarkable differences in the clay mineralogy between the two sites were observed. The site with the Vitric Cambisol was associated with the weathering sequence: glass → halloysite → kaolinite or interstratified kaolinite-2:1 clay minerals. Both sites had smectite in the clay fraction and, to …
Spatial variability of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) mineralisation potential at a millimetre scale in soil
2003
Abstract We analysed the ability of soil units of millimetre size to mineralise a herbicide, 2,4-D, using incubations of individual aggregates (2–7 mm diameter) and 6×6×6 mm 3 cubes dissected from soil cores, under standard conditions. Mineralisation of 14 C-ring labelled 2,4-D was measured using a barite paper trap and a Phosphorimager to record the evolved 14 C-CO 2 from these very small soil samples. We found a large variability of 2,4-D mineralisation potential between aggregate size classes, between individual aggregates of the same size and between the different dissected cubes from a given core. We explained this variability by an uneven distribution of the degrading microorganisms a…
Changements climatiques et océanographiques au cours du Campanien – approche couplée minéralogie et géochimie
2018
The origin of the Late Cretaceous (~100 – 65 Ma) global cooling is not yet well understood. The evolution of sea surface and bottom temperatures shows an acceleration of the cooling during the Campanian stage (~84 Ma). The main goal of this study was to explore the processes driving this cooling, focusing on Campanian sediments from the Tethyan, Boreal and Atlantic realms.The clay mineralogical assemblages of several (hemi)pelagic sites, selected along a S-N transect, from 5° to 45°N, reveal an increase in continental weathering during the Campanian, expressed by enhanced kaolinite inputs. The detrital input related to the uplift of new continental areas seems to evolve from south to north.…
Changes in surface stress at the liquid/solid interface measured with a microcantilever
2000
Abstract The bending of microfabricated silicon nitride cantilevers was used to determine surface stress changes at solid–liquid interfaces. The radius of curvature of the bent cantilever is directly proportional to changes in the differential surface stress between its opposite sides. To demonstrate the possibilities and limitations of the technique, cantilevers coated on both sides with gold and densely packed monolayers of different thiols were put in a constant flow of aqueous electrolyte solution and the deflection was measured using a optical lever technique. Changes in the surface stress for the different thiol monolayers due to specific proton adsorption are presented. Possible appl…