Sessions

Special clays formed by 2:1 clay minerals (e.g. bentonite, sepiolite and palygorskite) are materials with outstanding properties (e.g. sorcitive and rheological) that make them exceptional from an industrial and technological point of view because of their large number of applications, including their use as nanomaterials. These clays are made up of clay minerals that form rare deposits (sepiolite) or not very abundant ones (palygorskite, smectites), which properly treated acquire a high added value and therefore economic significance. This session focuses, on the one hand, on the geological aspects that include: description of the deposits, petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry all them of usefulness in palaeo-environmental reconstructions and genesis of these special clays. Also included are the technological processes used to enhance certain properties and also their industrial, environmental and health-related applications. All contributions within this broad spectrum are welcome.

Fakher Jamoussi | Water Researches and Technologies Center | Tunisia | fakherjamoussi@gmail.com

Manuel Pozo | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain | Spain | manuel.pozo@uam.es

Lala Setti Belaroui | University Oran1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria | Algeria | belaroui.lalasetti@univ-oran1.dz

The reduction of portland cement clinker in the production of cement is of highest interest in order to fulfill CO2 reduction goals. Therefore alternative materials are necessary. The usage of calcined clays is one of the most popular items in this discussion. Both the availability and the performence of suitable clays have to be considered.

Matthias Schellhorn | DTTG | Germany | matthias.schellhorn@schmidt-tone.de

Alkali activation of clay, meta-clay, clayey wastes produces a number of soluble Si⁺⁴ and Al⁺³ ions n the alkaline solution. These dissolved species are hydrated and can form a polymeric Si-O-Al-O 3D network at room temperature to produce a ceramic-like solids. These alkali-activated materials, known also as “geopolymer”, present a typically amorphous structure that retains the undissolved mineral species of the aluminosilicate precursors and present novel crystalline phases, such as crypto zeolites. The excellent mechanical properties, chemical and physical durability combined with thermal stability of the final consolidated products qualifies them as eco-friendly building materials.

Cristina Leonelli | University of Modena and Reggio Emilia | Italy | cristina.leonelli@unimore.it

Clay minerals and related materials including zeolites, hydroxides and others, are polyfunctional materials with a number of applications in environment, nanotechnology, health science, and more. Synthesis experiments give a better understanding of several processes involved in genesis and stability of minerals under natural conditions. In addition, they provide new choices to produce analogs of natural minerals as well as new materials with specific properties for advanced applications in science and technology. Experiments may be performed under room and hydrothermal conditions, in pure inorganic systems or including organic matter, polymers, etc.

F. Javier Huertas | Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-University of Granada) | Spain | javier.huertas@csic.es

Peter C. Ryan | Middlebury College | United States | pryan@middlebury.edu

Clay minerals occur across various geological settings and are the ubiquitous products of hydrothermal alteration and weathering processes. Understanding spatial variations, abundance and elemental compositions of clay minerals can provide useful vectors aiding mineral deposits discovery. Accurate identification of swelling clays is also important for ore processing. This session aims to bring together presentations summarizing the important role of clay minerals in mineral exploration and recovery. We encourage submissions addressing traditional and cutting-edge analytical techniques used to identify and characterize the clay mineralogy and chemistry relevant to mineral exploration and geometallurgy.

Julie Hunt | Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia | Australia | julie.hunt@utas.edu.au

Lejun Zhang | Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia | Australia | Lejun.Zhang@utas.edu.au

Jonathan Cloutier | 1. Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia | 2. Mineral System Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australia | Australia | jonathan.cloutier@utas.edu.au

With composition and crystallography highly susceptible to thermo-barometric changes, clay minerals represent an important line of investigation in fundamental and applied research. All contributions, which look into clay mineral indices and geo-chemistry, are welcome. Examples may include but are not limited to geothermal and hydrothermal studies, hydrocarbon and clay mineral research in sedimentary basins, clay-mineral evolution in meta-sedimentary rocks, provenance of clay-mineral bearing rocks in archaeometry and cultural heritage preservation studies and all other geoscientific fields which necessitate precise diagenetic and very-low to low-grade metamorphic determinations.

Rafael Ferreiro Mählmann | Technical University of Darmstadt | Germany | ferreiro@geo.tu-darmstadt.de

Branimir Šegvić | Texas Tech University | United States | branimir.segvic@ttu.edu

Even though many macroscopic experimental data are available, as sorption isotherms or dissolution rates based on bulk solid or solution chemical analysis, detailed process understanding at the water/clay interfaces remain to be better constrained in order to propose predictive models notably in the compacted state. Different questions, especially implying charged clay particles, remain to be resolved as: (i) how particle morphology or crystal-chemistry influence these interactions and (ii) how to properly couple chemical properties with transport mechanisms, inherent to natural environments. We therefore welcome all contributions which further our knowledge of these interfaces’ reactivity.

Emmanuel Tertre | Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP) - Poitiers University/CNRS | France | emmanuel.tertre@univ-poitiers.fr

Valentin Robin | E2Lim – UR 24 133 - Limoges University | France | valentin.robin@unilim.fr

Thorsten Schäfer | Institute of Geosciences / Applied Geology - Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena | Germany | thorsten.schaefer@uni-jena.de

Clays are widely used as engineered and natural barriers in radioactive waste disposals. To guarantee the safety of these disposal systems in the long-term, the mechanical, thermal, mineralogical and physicochemical properties of these barriers must be analysed in depth, under different scales. All the processes that may significantly modify the clay barrier performance (chemistry, temperature, irradiation, erosion) must be investigated to strengthen the Safety Case. Within this context, is also especially relevant the analysis of radionuclide/clay interactions, and the geochemical and thermodynamic modelling needed to predict radionuclide migration under variable environmental conditions.

Tiziana Missana | CIEMAT | Spain | tiziana.missana@ciemat.es

Ursula Alonso | CIEMAT | Spain | ursula.alonso@ciemat.es

Ana María Fernandez | CIEMAT | Spain | anamaria.fernandez@ciemat.es

The basic requirement for radioactive waste disposal is to attenuate the release of radionuclides to the environment by means of both engineered and natural barriers. In the last decades, concepts are revised with respect to the maximum temperature at the interface canisters-barriers, with a special focus on bentonites. This session seeks contributions to help understanding high temperature (>100 °C) effects on bentonite buffer materials. Studies focused on mineral transformation, interfacial interactions, and other processes related to the performance of bentonite barriers, performed in lab or in field, are welcome.

Reiner Dohrmann | BGR | Germany | reiner.dohrmann@bgr.de

Clay minerals are ubiquitous in soils, sediments, and sedimentary rocks, where they strongly influence groundwater hydrology, transport processes, and isolation/retention potential. Clay barriers are widely used for isolation of landfills and contaminated sites. Clay-rich rock formations and clay-based materials also play key role as host rocks and engineered barriers in radioactive waste disposal concepts. This session focusses on modelling studies of coupled multi-physics processes within clay-rich materials, experimental studies related to barrier properties and long term evolution of clayey materials, and analogue studies regarding the above mentioned applications of clayey materials.

Axel Liebscher | BGE Federal Company of Radioactive Waste Disposal | Germany | axel.liebscher.berlin@gmail.com

Vanessa Montoya | Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN | Belgium | vanessa.montoya@sckcen.be

Clays are used in a wide range of geotechnical applications and in civil engineering. They are used in slurry cut-off walls, landfill sites, closure structures for underground repositories, soil improvement, geosynthetic clay liners, grouts and sealants for drilling industry. The particular size and structure of clay minerals condition their rheological properties, adsorption/desorption characteristics and swelling/shrinkage processes, among others. These in turn affect the hydro-mechanical and physico-chemical behaviour of clays and clay rocks. In particular, this session welcomes works investigating the connection between the properties of clay minerals at the nano- and meso-scales (‘‘micro-scale’’) and the macroscopic properties, as well as the chemical effects. Both experimental and modelling works will be considered.

Maria Victoria Villar | CIEMAT | Spain | mv.villar@ciemat.es

Enrique Romero Morales | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya | Spain | enrique.romero-morales@upc.edu

Guido Musso | Politecnico de Torino | Italy | guido.musso@polito.it

This session calls for studies of clays with relevance in human health. It is focused on use of natural or modified clays in biomedical sciences. Interaction of clays with biological systems, use of clays in the design of medicinal products and medical devices as well as agricultural practice, clay based foods and cosmetics are welcome.

César Viseras | University of Granada | Spain | cviseras@ugr.es

Serena Riela | University of Palermo | Italy | serena.riela@unipa.it

Zeolite are particularly suitable for high-value technological applications based on ion exchange and selective adsorption of organic molecules. Their functionality and technological performance can be improved by means of modifying agents such as surfactants, metals, nanoparticles and polymers.

In this session, investigations dealing with the occurrence, the mineralogical and chemical-physical characterization of new zeolite resources, modeling studies, new functionalization methods, evaluation of technological performance, as well as any other topic related to the most recent insights on the use of natural zeolites for health and environment is welcome.

Francesco Izzo | DiSTAR - University of Naples Federico II | Italy | francesco.izzo4@unina.it

Piergiulio Cappelletti | DiSTAR - University of Naples Federico II | Italy | piergiulio.cappelletti@unina.it

Binoy Sarkar | Future Industries Institute - University of South Australia | Australia | binoy.sarkar@unisa.edu.au

Human beings and minerals share plenty of major, minor, and trace elements considered essential not only for life and wellness of humans but also for mineral formation.

This session invites abstracts for studies focused on geochemical characterization of microsized minerals and environmental matrices (soil, water, air) with relevant implications for improving our understanding on their potential impact on human health. Studies using this approach to track sources of microsized minerals, to characterize their migration in the environment or their health impacts are welcome.

Valeria Di Renzo | Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e delle Risorse - Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II | Italy | valeria.direnzo@unina.it

Alessio Langella | DiSTAR - Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II | Italy | alessio.langella@unina.it

David Widory | Dépt des Sciences de la Terre et de l'Atmosphère-UQAM/GEOTOP | Canada | widory.david@uqam.ca

The session will highlight recent developments concerning modifications of kaolin group minerals including mainly kaolinite and halloysite. In particular focus will be put on intercalation, surface and interlayer grafting as well as preparation of (nano)composites with other materials including polymers. Such approaches enable to induce different functionalities e.g.: adsorption and catalytic properties. The obtained materials are possible candidates for use in industrial applications and environmental protection.The scope of this session will also include topics devoted to characterization techniques and challenges in traditional applications of kaolin group minerals.

Jakub Matusik | AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland | Poland | jmatusik@agh.edu.pl

Prakash Malla | Thiele Kaolin Company, P.O. Box 1056, 520 Kaolin Road, Sandersville, Georgia 31082, USA | United States | prakash.malla@thielekaolin.com

Gustave Kenne Dedzo | Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, B.P. 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon | Cameroon | kennegusto@yahoo.fr

Ancient clay-based materials, comprising ceramics, bricks, mudbricks and tiles are very widely attested in archaeological sites and cultural heritage buildings. Defining the provenance of the clays used on the basis of the mineralogical, petrographic or geochemical markers, their firing technology through the mineralogical and microstructural transformations the clays underwent during firing, as well as the state of conservation, represents the main aims of most of the researches. This session welcomes archaeometric studies dealing with such topics, discussing the key role that these clay-based materials has to disclose ancient societies and their material knowledge and how such data can be transferred to clay-based materials currently produced to optimize selected physical properties.

Lara Maritan | Department of Geosciences, University of Padova | Italy | lara.maritan@unipd.it

Giuseppe Cultrone | Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada | Spain | cultrone@ugr.es

Elena Mercedes Pérez-Monserrat | Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padova | Italy | elenamercedes.perezmonserrat@unipd.it

Since the discovery of Maya blue, clay minerals have been considered significant substrates of stable organic-inorganic hybrid pigments due to their distinctive nanostructures and physical characteristics. This session highlights the recent progress of hybrid pigments based on clay minerals and organic dyes, including the archaeology of ancient pigments (e.g., Maya blue) and new hybrid pigments. The topic covers the synthesis, surface interactions, properties, and applications of organic-inorganic hybrid pigments, such as Maya blue-like pigments, photochromic pigments, fluorescent pigments, temperature-sensitive pigments, pH-sensitive pigments, and other functional hybrid pigments.

Guanzheng Zhuang | Guangdong University of Technology | China | zhuangguanzheng@gdut.edu.cn

Peng Yuan | Guangdong University of Technology | China | yuanpeng@gdut.edu.cn

The silicate ceramic industry represents a world-wide industrial sector that moves considerable economic fluxes and involves huge amounts of clays and clay minerals.

This session will focus on the current and emerging strategies being adopted in the production of silicate and clay-based ceramics. Contributions are welcome about but not limited to raw materials, processing, properties and higher added-value products. A particular emphasis is expected on:

• the selection of new clays potentially usable in the ceramic field;
• raw materials constraints and alternatives, including industrial waste;
• the interaction waste-clays, the technological effects on products.

Chiara Zanelli | Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologia dei Materiali Ceramici (ISTEC-CNR) | Italy | chiara.zanelli@istec.cnr.it

João Labrincha | University of Aveiro | Portugal | jal@ua.pt

The development of different synthesis methods has allowed to create novel materials inspired by natural layered materials but with tailored chemical composition and surface properties. This session is dedicated to the latest advances in the field of synthesis of layered materials : clay minerals, layered double hydroxides and inorganic-organic hybrid materials by hydrothermal, co-precipitation, sol-gel and other methods, as well as their characterization and properties.” Particular attention will be paid to the influence of the synthesis processes on the structure-properties relationship of the obtained compounds

Jocelyne Brendlé | Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse UMR CNRS 7361 - Université de Haute Alsace | France | jocelyne.brendle@uha.fr

Liva Dzene | Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse UMR CNRS 7361 - Université de Haute Alsace | France | liva.dzene@uha.fr

Vanessa Prévot | Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand (ICCF) - UMR 6296 | France | vanessa.prevot@uca.fr

With characteristic physical and chemical properties, combination of clay minerals and polymer/metal to form composites offers clay minerals a wider range of applications, such combination can be made by intercalation, pillaring, inclusion and encapsulation and hierarchical assembly. Especially, the size of metal and polymer components on the nanometer scale can be confined to the nanospace in the structure of layered clay minerals or in the structure of house-of-cards of exfoliated clay nanolayers. Such composites have continuously attracted considerable interest due to their unique properties and their applications in various fields such as drug delivery systems,biosensors, catalysts, nanocomposites, agriculture, environment, and so on. In this session we welcome contributions on new methods, strategies for the synthesis of new clay/polymer/metal nanoparticles, as well studies on the properties and applications of novel clay/polymer/metal composites.

Ambra M. Fiore | Department of Chemistry - University of Bari | Italy | ambra.fiore@uniba.it

Chun Hui Zhou | Zhejiang University of Technology | China | chc.zhou@aliyun.com

Based on clays and related low-dimensional nanostructures, advanced materials with excellent electronic and mechanical functions have been recently developed and have contributed to enrich clay sciences. A good example is layered double hydroxides and their nanosheets as (photo/electro)catalysts. Also, thanks to successful macroscopic self-organization of nanosheets and tubules as liquid-crystal mesophases, the design of functionalities has become more diverse. This session aims at the discussions on (Photo/electro)catalytic applications of clays and related inorganics; Multi-scale ordering of these materials; Advanced characterization techniques and theoretical studies on these materials.

Yusuke Ide | National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) | Japan | ide.yusuke@nims.go.jp

Erwan Paineau | Université Paris Saclay | France | erwan-nicolas.paineau@universite-paris-saclay.fr

Nobuyoshi Miyamoto | Fukuoka Institute of Technology | Japan | miyamoto@fit.ac.jp

Optical and photofunctional materials belong to the most developing topics of current modern research. It is quite surprising how the interaction of clay particles can affect some important properties of photoactive molecules in their hybrid systems. The section can include studies focused on any hybrid systems based on clay minerals and related inorganic carriers. In terms of functionality, hybrid systems can include photoactive molecules such as organic dyes, inorganic ions, coordination compounds, polymers, nanodots, and other nanoparticles. From the point of view of functionality, the subjects include any photophysical and photochemical phenomena and properties, such as light energy conversion and electron transfer, dye aggregation, optical anisotropy, photochromic properties, nonlinear optical properties, optical sensors and probes, photocatalysis, photosensitization, and photodisinfection

Juraj Bujdák | Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences | Slovakia | juraj.bujdak@uniba.sk

Jocelyne Brendle | Mulhouse Materials Science Institute | France | jocelyne.brendle@uha.fr

Jun Kawamata | Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University | Japan | j_kawa@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp

Achieving the goal of zero carbon emissions will require strategies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One way to achieve this goal is through negative mission technologies such as enhanced rock weathering, in which soil is amended with crushed basalt and other silicate rocks. To demonstrate their effectiveness, it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate the potential for carbon dioxide and organic carbon capture in negative emission technology. The roles of clay and clay minerals are probably important but remain elusive in the evaluation.

In this context, this session will provide a broad and comprehensive discussion of the role of clays and clay minerals carbon dioxide and organic carbon capture in negative emission technology./p>

Tsutomu Sato | Hokkaido University | Japan | tomsato@eng.hokudai.ac.jp

Yuji Arai | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States | yarai@illinois.edu

Atsushi Nakao | Kyoto Prefectural University | Japan | na_4_ka_triplochiton@kpu.ac.jp

Clay minerals have been widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions in combination with geochemical tools and/or sedimentological evidences. In this session, we invite contributions dealing with any aspect of chemical and physical weathering processes in relation to climate and more generally the forcing mechanisms (tectonics, watershed geology, erosion intensity) that govern the formation of clay minerals and their transport in continental or marine environments. We also invite all contributions that develop new methodological approaches on clays and/or new geochemical proxies to decipher climatic conditions

Pierre Pellenard | Biogéosciences CNRS, University of Burgundy | France | pierre.pellenard@u-bourgogne.fr

Nathalie Fagel | University of Liège | Belgium | nathalie.fagel@uliege.be

Clay minerals in soils are products of weathering in the process of soil development. The neoformation and transformation of clay minerals are closely related to pedogenesis. The type and abundance of clay minerals is extremely important for most soil properties and the delivery of soil ecosystem services. Soil clay mineralogy can provide important data in relation to environmental/paleoenvironmental interpretations of soils/palaeosols.

We invite contributions on all aspects (such as, structural and chemical composition, mineral quantification, surface properties, mineral-water interface processes, weathering pathways) of soil clay minerals including Fe/Al/Mn oxides.

Balwant Singh | University of Sidney | balwant.singh@sydney.edu.au

This session focuses on the interactions of micro and nanominerals with organic and inorganic compounds that could led to synthesis of biomolecules, formation of biopolymers, as well as confinement of prebiotic systems. Soil scientists, geochemists, mineralogists, planetary scientists, exobiologists can provide piece of knowledges to such a cutting-edge topic.

Saverio Fiore | IMAA - CNR, Potenza | Italy | saverio.fiore@cnr.it

This symposium covers any other topic not included in the thematic sessions.

Sthephen Hillier | James Hutton Institute | United Kingdom | stephen.hillier@hutton.ac.uk

Laurence Warr | University of Greifswald | Germany | laurence.warr@uni-greifswald.de

Identification and characterization of clay minerals hold important clues into the evolution of celestial bodies such as aqueous alteration and processes that may allow life to develop. Clay minerals in solar system have been identified by sample-based studies in meteorites, by remote sensing of the surface of Mars, dwarf planet Ceres, Jupiter's moon Europa and by direct X-ray diffraction observations by MSL Curiosity rover, and through terrestrial analog studies on Earth. This session includes mission observations, laboratory-based, field-analogue and theoretical studies aimed to understand clay minerals and their role in biosignature preservation in meteorites and on Solar System bodies.

Slavka Andrejkovičová | Geosciences Department, Aveiro University, Portugal | Portugal | slavka@ua.pt

Amy McAdam | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | USA | amy.mcadam-1@nasa.gov