Applications of molecular modeling procedures to adsorption processes at clay mineral surfaces are described. Using a recently developed empirical force field for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dioctahedral clays, the interactions of various classes of organic compounds with clay surfaces are being explored, including man-made pollutants, agrochemicals such as pesticides, naturally occu...

High-resolution mapping by visible and near-infrared orbital spectrometers has revealed a diversity of hydrated mineral deposits on the surface of Mars. Quantitative analysis of mineral abundances within these deposits has the potential to distinguish depositional and diagenetic processes. Such analysis can also provide important constraints on the nature of putative global and local-scale mine...

The mineral fraipontite has been studied by using a combination of scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis and vibrational spectroscopy (infrared and Raman). Fraipontite is a member of the 1:1 clay minerals of the kaolinite-serpentine group. The mineral contains Zn and Cu and is of formula (Cu,Zn,Al)₃(Si,Al)₂O₅(OH)₄. Qualitative chemical analysis of fraipontite shows an alu...

Clay from deposit Bilalovac, Central Bosnia, was characterized by chemical, IR, XRD and DTA/TG analysis. The major mineral components are kaolinite, illite, muscovite and quartz. Raw clay may be used for pottery products and terracotta. Clay was beneficiated by wet method removing fraction over 20 μm. Beneficiation process increased content of kaolinite and decreased content of quartz. Benefici...

The goal of this study is to investigate and develop a cost-effective procedure for the treatment of contaminated water by sorption technology using an Omani clay mineral. Attapulgite (Palygorskite) is a clay mineral that exists in the Sultanate of Oman in huge reserves in two deposits in the southern part of Oman. In this paper, we present our first findings about this important clay in the re...

By controlled experiments that simulate marine depositional environments, it is shown that accelerated weathering and clay mineral authigenesis occur during the combined process of ingestion, digestion and excretion of fine-grained sediment by two species of annelid worms. Previously characterized synthetic mud was created using finely ground, low-grade metamorphic slate (temperature approximat...

Sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) are commonly used to determine speciation of trace metals in soils and sediments. However, the non-selectivity of reagents for targeted phases has remained a lingering concern. Furthermore, potentially reactive phases such as phyllosilicate clay minerals often contain trace metals in structural sites, and their reactivity has not been quantified. Accordin...

Ninety-six crossbred weanling pigs (36 d of age, initial weight of 8.8 kg) were used in a three-phase study to determine the effects of feeding an aflatoxin-contaminated corn (AC) diet (922 ppb of aflatoxin B1) with and without sodium bentonite (clay) on performance, liver function, and mineral metabolism. In the nursery phase, control corn (NC) or AC was fed in corn-soybean meal diets with and...

Understanding the pore networks of unconventional tight reservoirs such as tight sandstones and shales is crucial for extracting oil/gas from such reservoirs. Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and N2 gas adsorption (N2GA) are performed to evaluate pore structure of Chang-7 tight sandstone. Thin section observation, scanning electron microscope, grain size analysis, mineral composition...

The aim of this study was to understand the interactions between alkylammonium cations present as monomers and micelles and a clay mineral, montmorillonite, to develop slow release formulations of anionic herbicides, such as sulfometuron (SFM) whose leaching in soils is an environmental and economic problem. In the proposed formulation the herbicide is incorporated in positively charged micelle...