Clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels have been proven to have exceptional composition, properties, and applications, and consequently have attracted a significant amount of research effort over the past few years. The objective of this paper is to summarize and evaluate scientific advances in clay mineral-containing nanocomposite hydrogels in terms of their specific preparation, form...

The aim of this study was the preparation of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/clay nanocomposites using organoclay produced via micellar adsorption of cethyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and their characterisation by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, and the investigation of certain mechanical properties of the composites. The results show that the basal dista...

A method of clay mineral sample preparation for electron microprobe analysis has been developed in which a film of clay plus 10-12 wt. % colloidal graphite is deposited on a porous ceramic disc using a specially designed suction device. Correction procedures are used to obtain quantitative elemental analyses representing the average chemical composition of the prepared sample. A statistical tec...

As part of the European Hot Dry Rocks Project, a second exploration borehole, EPS-1, has been cored to a depth of 2227 m at Soultz-sous-For@ts (France). The target was a granite beginning at 1417 m depth, overlain by post-Paleozoic sedimentary cover. Structural analysis and petrographic examination of the 800-111 porphyritic granite core, have shown that this rock has undergone several periods ...

The cement–clay interaction (CI) experiment was carried out at the Mont Terri rock laboratory to complement current knowledge on influence that cementitious materials have Opalinus Clay (OPA) and bentonite (MX). Drill cores including interface of OPA, concrete (LAC = low-alkali binder, OPC ordinary Portland cement), MX, which interacted for 4.9 10 years, were successfully retrieved after drilli...

Abstract Hydrothermally altered rhyolite rocks in the Permian Donnersberg Formation of a geothermal borehole Northern Upper Rhine Graben (Germany) were investigated to find out answers for low hydraulic conductivity rocks. The composition clay minerals and temperature smectite–illite transformation carried using X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transfor...

Introduction: Frequent impacts [e.g., 1-3] reworked the crust of Mars during the Noachian [4]. The energy of those impacts created thousands of prominent heat sources that supported long-lived, deep-reaching hydrothermal systems [5,6]. In this paper, we investigate how those systems altered the chemistry and mineralogy of Noachian crust. Previous work and motivation for this study: We previousl...

Clay content (fraction < 2 μm) is one of the most important soil properties. It controls soil hydraulic properties like wilting point, field capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity, which in turn control the various fluxes of water in the unsaturated zone. In our study site, the Kairouan plain in central Tunisia, existing soil maps are neither exhaustive nor sufficiently precise for water...

Low-salinity brine injection has emerged as a promising, cost-effective improved oil recovery (IOR) method for waterflooding reservoirs. Laboratory tests and field applications show that low-salinity waterflooding could lead to significant reduction of residual oil saturation. There has been a growing interest with an increasing number of low-salinity waterflooding studies. However, there are f...

Introduction: Spectroscopic observations offer the best means to evaluate chemical weathering on Mars at regional and global scales. Near-infrared (NIR) spectral data from OMEGA and CRISM have revealed hydrated minerals that indicate aqueous alteration, including different clay minerals [1-3], sulfates [1,4], silica [5], and carbonates [6], which are regionally localized across the Martian high...