Report
From 17-19 June 2013, the Mineralogical Society, in conjunction with the Geological Society, the British Zeolite Association and the IOM3held the conference ‘Minerals for Life’. The ambition of the meeting was to bring together those in academia with those working in industry to share experiences and skills. The programme was a strong one and a number of the speakers have agreed to allow their presentations to be copied below.
The mineral sciences span an increasingly broad range of subjects. The traditional core disciplines of characterization and classification have burgeoned in recent decades, as the range of analytical tools available has grown very rapidly along with our systematic understanding of mineral chemistry. Similar advances in exploration, mining and process engineering bring these fields to a state of advancement such that they would be unrecognisable to a practitioner of fifty years ago. Over the same timescale, our environmental awareness has developed greatly and the role of our subject remains at the core of many methods of environmental remediation. Moreover, it has helped foster environmental responsibility in operational practice. The science underlying minerals as functional materials covers many new fields, with wide applications spanning medicine, electronics, construction and many others, as we develop new applications for minerals and their products. The contribution of minerals to human well-being has never been more prominent than it is today. After all, if we don’t grow it or catch it, we must dig it from the ground!
The ‘Minerals for Life’ meeting was originally conceived as a way of bringing the best of current research activities to an audience spanning the minerals community as a whole.
The conference was very much a joint effort between the organising bodies. The Geological Society, The Institute of Minerals, Materials and Mining, The British Zeolite Association, and Mineralogical Society represent a combined membership of well over 20,000 people spanning the whole range of interests in mineral science and engineering. In addition, the contribution of the Environmental Radioactivity Network and staff at the Diamond Light Source has been invaluable.
The meeting was arranged around four broad themes with numerous cross-cutting presentations and ideas.
Thanks to the following who helped to make the conference a success:
Convenor: M. Tyrer
Organizing committee: J. Adams, T. Francis, F. Wall, M. Smith, T. Hartwell, D. Manning, J. Monhemius, S. Shaw, C. Kirk, D. Alderton, C. Greenwell, T. Milodowski, V. Coker, M. Hodson, S. Kelley, K. Goodenough, J. Harvey, S. Leese, C. Williams, L. Campbell
Session chairs: D. Alderton, F. Wall, A. Boyce, G. Christidis, C. Greenwell, S. Hillier, H. Heinz, M. Hodson, A. Finch, A.E. Milodowski, A. Benham, M. Tyrer, V. Coker, M. Tyrer, S. Shaw, R. Shaw, S. Norris, D. Read, A.E. Milodowski
and to the Mineralogical Society staff.
Sessions 1+ 2: Security of supply: Critical metals and other commodities
NERC SoS Minerals Programme: overview and update
Adrian Boyce
Cook Islands manganese nodules as a new source of rare metals
D.S. Cronan
Concentrating critical metals in alkaline magmatic provinces: what we know, and what we need to find out
Kathryn Goodenough, Adrian Finch, Frances Wall and Paul Lusty
The Proterozoic mantle source to carbonatite-hosted critical metal deposits and the role of phlogopite in hosting, transporting and concentrating the critical metals.
Dora Kavecsanszki, Kathryn R. Moore, Frances Wall, Paul A.J. Lusty
The mineralogy of responsible sourcing of rare earths
F. Wall and J.W. O’Callaghan
Substitution of critical raw materials
Catherine Joce
Resource security and the product supply chain
David Gardner
Achieving security of supply in a UK context
John Cowley
The EU and its EIP on Raw Materials – securing Europe’s future growth
Johannes Drielsma
Losing sleep over potash
David A. C. Manning
Struvite recovery in STW – Towards closing the phosphorus loop in the UK
Rosanna Kleemann
Ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of steel and aluminium
David Leal-Ayala
MgO and its role as a refractory mineral
C. Piribauer and Roland Nilica
A framework for reporting sustainability for the mining industry by using existing standards and reporting mechanisms
Oliver Heidrich, Richard Dawson and David A.C. Manning
By-product potential of critical metals (Nb/Ta/REE/W) and Sn within IMERYS kaolin operational areas, St Austell Granite, Cornwall
Ben Thompson, Robin Shail, Gavyn Rollinson, Richard Pascoe, Frances Wall and Pascal Hirtzig
Minerals in mine wastes: resources, recycling, remediation AUDIO
Karen Hudson-Edwards
Session 5: Engineering mineral functionality
Engineering functionality on clay surfaces
C. Detellier
Silicates and Phosphates in Nanobiotechnology: From Nanoscale Interfaces to Applications
H. Heinz
Sessions 6 + 7: Engineering mineral functionality
Novel ceramic casting slips for step change improvement in performance
J.M. Adams
An Electrochemical Approach to Study Carbonation of Lime Based Materials for Construction
Giovanni L. Pesce, Mara Serrapede, Guy Denuault, Richard Ball, Geoffrey Allen
The mechanical properties of kaolin-based coating layers and their influence on coated paper properties
J.C. Husband and J.S. Preston
Tubular halloysite
Stephen Hillier, Helen Pendlowski, Tony Fraser, Jean Robertson, Evelyne Delbos, Ian Phillips, Nia Gray and Ian Wilson
Hydraulic reactions in Lime Metakaolin mixtures
Giovanni L. Pesce, Richard Ball, Geoffrey Allen, Joao Rocha
Engineering minerals for performance applications – an industrial perspective
J. Phipps
A novel approach to identify trioctahedra smectites with X-ray diffraction
George E. Christidis and Eleni Koutsopoulou
The mechanical properties of mineral-filled polyolefins
J.M. Adams, C.D. Paynter, S Ritchie
Zeolite catalysts for selective methane oxidation
G.J. Hutchings
Properties and performance of a composite material comprising simulated consumer polymer waste – coal derived mineral residues
Herman Potgieter, Christopher Liauw and David Velado
Diagenetic silicates: New roles in reservoir quality, metal cycling and palaeo-environmental archiving
Nicholas J. Tosca
Global trends in building materials: Impact on Lafarge research directions
A. Jacquet
Session 12: Biomineralization: fundamental and applied research
Formation of iron minerals by Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria
Andreas Kappler
Vertebrate cells respond to nacre topography or chemistry?
Maggie Cusack, Matt Dalby, Peter Chung and Jeni Haggarty
Co-evolution of Phanerozoic ocean chemistry and CaCO3 biomineralisation
Uwe Balthasar and Maggie Cusack
Isotopic studies of earthworm secreted calcium carbonate – a novel palaeothermometer
Emma A Versteegh, Mark E Hodson and Stuart Black
Biominerals as Indicators of Past Climate – Promises, Potentials and Pitfalls
Adrian A Finch and Nicola Allison
Exploring microbial biomineralisation for contaminant sequestration from different waste streams
Bryne T. Ngwenya, Derek Martin, Kevin Dodds, Ian B. Butler and Marisa Magennis
Biomolecular studies of the diatom silicon transporter
Paul Curnow
Coupling bedrock weathering to microbial growth
Heather L. Buss, Laura J. Liermann, Mary Ann Bruns and Susan L. Brantley
Session 10: Carbon Capture and Storage
Carbon Capture and Storage: Meeting energy and mineral demands
Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Carbon capture by industrial minerals in soil
Carla-Leanne Washbourne and D.A.C. Manning
Nickel catalysts for capturing CO2
Lidija Šiller and Gaurav A. Bhaduri
Carbon capture and storage by mineralisation using serpentinites and ultramafic rocks
Antony Benham
Session: General
Multi-technique approach to characterize the inorganic matter in coal and its ashes
S. Potgieter-Vermaak, N. Maledi, N. Wagner, R.H.M. Godoi and J. Potgieter
Towards carbon-neutral cements
F.P. Glasser and M.S. Imbabi
The Hemerdon Tungsten Deposit, South Devon, UK: setting, geology and development
Richard Scrivener
Major Museum Rock and Mineral Collections as Research Resources
Rachel Walcott and John Faithfull
Session 11: Biomining and bioremediation
Using bacteria to break and make minerals in acidic liquors: industrial and environmental implications
D. Barrie Johnson
Microbial redox cycling of surface Fe ions in magnetite nanoparticles
James M Byrne, Nicole Klüglein and Andreas Kappler
Using bioremediation to remove uranium from groundwater
Laura Newsome, Kath Morris, Divyesh Trivedi and Jonathan Lloyd
Bionanomineralogy; putting subsurface bacteria to work
Jonathan R Lloyd
Sessions 3 + 4: Minerals processing/recycling
Geometallurgy – a way towards better resource efficiency in mining industry
Pertti Lamberg
Nickel Residence in Goethite and Associated Fe-Oxyhydroxides: Strategies Towards Development of Laterite Specific Processing Methods
R.L. Norman, P.F.Schofield R.J. Herrington, S.E.Dann and C.A. Kirk
A novel process for combined recovery of aluminium, fluoride and graphite from primary aluminium smelting and aluminium finishing industry wastes
Diego F. Lisbona and Karen M. Steel
Industrial mineral products from mining waste
P.W. Scott
Ethical mineral production: Fair Trade for whom?
Gavin Hilson
Session 13: Use of large-scale facilities in mineral sciences and industry
New developments in micro-X-ray diffraction and XANES mapping at Diamond’s I18 beamline as applied to the mineralogy of earthworm granules
Fred Mosselmans, Loredana Brinza, Paul Schofield, Sophie Weller, Konstantin Ignatyev, Tina Geraki and Mark Hodson
Using soft X-ray spectroscopy for the characterisation of bio-nanoparticles
Victoria S Coker
The influence of iron oxide crystallization on the mobility of neptunium – synchrotron radiation and transuranic geochemistry
Pieter Bots, Sam Shaw, Gareth T.W. Law, Timothy Marshall, J. Frederick W. Mosselmans, Francis R. Livens, Melissa A. Denecke, Jörg Rothe, Kathy Dardenne and Katherine Morris
Use of Large-Scale Facilities in Mineral Sciences and Industrial Applications
Ian C Madsen
Sessions 8+9: Radioactive Waste Management – Engineered Barrier and Natural Analogue Systems
Engineered Barrier Systems for Radioactive Waste Management
Patrik Sellin
Assessment of the long-term performance of potential wasteforms for plutonium under conditions relevant for geological disposal in the UK
Guido Deissmann, Stefan Neumeier, Felix Brandt, Giuseppe Modolo and Dirk Bosbach
Mineralogical Comparisons of Experimental Results Investigating the Biological Impacts on Rock Transport Processes
Julia M. West, Doris Wagner, Antoni E. Milodowski, Joanna Wragg and Hideki Yoshikawa
Molecular-scale studies of radionuclide incorporation into mineral phases
S. Shaw
Natural analogues of mineral stability as key components of the geological disposal safety case
Ian G. McKinley, W. Russell Alexander, Susie M.L. Hardie, Elizaveta Klein and Ellie M. Scourse
Microbial ecology of the hyperalkaline Allas Springs (Cyprus), a natural analogue for cementitious radioactive waste repositories
Athanasios Rizoulis, Antoni E. Milodowski, Katherine Morris and Jonathan R. Lloyd
Cyprus Natural Analogue Project: what are the benefits to NDA-RWMD?
W.R.Alexander, A.E.Milodowski and S.Norris
Re-distribution of natural series radionuclides during mineral processing
D.M. Read
An analytical study of uranyl minerals from Cornwall, England
Richard Driscoll, Geoffrey Allen, Steve Parker, Daniel Wolverson, Richard Ball, John Mitchells, David Geeson and Imran Khan
Use of montmorillonite as a natural sorbent and effective remedy in human health
Y.М. Sapargaliyev, М.М. Kravchenko, А.Zh. Azelkhanov and Е.S. Suyekpaev
Posters
Resource efficiency of some apatite-bearing deposits
Safaa Al-Ali, Frances Wall, Richard Pascoe, William Dawes and Aoife Brady
Use of zeolite-bearing rocks of the Taizhuzgen deposit in agriculture of East Kazakhstan
А.Zh. Azelkhanov, М.М. Kravchenko, Y.М. Sapargaliyev and Е.S. Suyekpaev
Resource recovery and remediation of alkaline wastes
W.M. Mayes, M. Rogerson, I.T. Burke, D. Lisbona and J. Aumonier
Heavy rare earth elements in carbonatite: could late-stage apatite be a potential source?
S. Broom-Fendley, F. Wall, A.G. Gunn and A. Brady
Rare Earth Elements in Mine Waters
Matthew Holloway
Characterisation of potash-bearing evaporite deposits, North Yorkshire, UK
Simon J. Kemp, Doris Wagner, Ian Mounteney, Lorraine P. Field, Jeremy C. Rushton, Chris J. Milne, Jeremy P.L. Dearlove, Frederick W. Smith, Charlotte P. Bell and Tristan L. Pottas
Extreme REE enrichments in ultrapotassic alkaline rocks from Italy: roles of mantle anomalies, magma evolution plus fluid transfer, and economic implications
Angelo Peccerillo
Nanoparticle bioremediation
R.L. Skuce, D.J. Tobler, M.R. Lee and V.R. Phoenix
Identification of alkaliphilic and alkalitolerant microorganisms from a hyper-alkaline spring, and their impacts on the transport characteristics of sandstone
Sarah Smith, Jonathan R Lloyd, Julia West and A. Rizoulis
Kago low-sulfidation deposit: Mineralisaiton, genesis and relationship to the Nansatsu high-sulfidation system
Thomas Tindell, Koichiro Watanabe, Akira Imai, Ryohei Takahashi, Kotaro Yonezu, Adrian J. Boyce, Anders Schersten, Laurence Page and Takeyuki Ogata
Resource recovery and remediation of alkaline wastes
W.M. Mayes, M. Rogerson, I.T. Burke, D. Lisbona and J. Aumônier
Evaluating the swelling potential of treated clay minerals through computer simulation
H. Christopher Greenwell, James Suter, Richard L. Anderson, Peter V. Coveney and Steve Cliffe
Leak fluid chemistry control on 90Sr sorption mechanism in sediments
S.H. Wallace, S. Shaw, K. Morris, J.S. Small and I.T. Burke
Discussion at the end of the meeting, chaired by D.A.C. Manning, will be published at a later date.