New Mineral Species and Their Crystal Structures


Book Description

The current Special Issue of Minerals entitled “New Mineral Species and Their Crystal Structures” contains articles with full descriptions of recently discovered mineral species (verneite, thermaerogenite, parafiniukite, nöggerathite-(Ce), cerromojonite, aurihydrargyrumite, sharyginite, fiemmeite, oyonite, tiberiobardiite, and ariegilatite) and with recent results in the investigation of structures for minerals which were insufficiently studied in the crystal chemical aspect (rusinovite, barioferrite, kurchatovite, and clinokurchatovite). The described new minerals demonstrate a great chemical and structural diversity and are characterized by different formation conditions and mineral associations. The mineralogical discoveries come from many different localities around the world. All articles were prepared to a high scientific level, and the authors used a lot of modern methods for their investigation of the solid. The papers published in this Special Issue can be of interest not only to mineralogists and mineral collectors but also to physicists and chemists of solid, and specialists in the field of materials science.




Biogenic—Abiogenic Interactions in Natural and Anthropogenic Systems 2022


Book Description

The book represents a collection of papers presented at VII International Symposium "Biogenic-abiogenic interactions in natural and anthropogenic systems" that was held on 26-29 September 2022 in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Papers in this book cover a wide range of topics connecting with interactions between biogenic and abiogenic components in lithosphere, biosphere and technosphere. The main regarding topics are following: biomineralization in living organisms and nature-like materials; biomineralization in geosystems; geochemistry of biogenic-abiogenic systems; biomineral interactions in soil; interaction of microorganisms with natural and artificial materials; medical geology; philosophical aspects of interdisciplinary researchs




Minerals: A Very Short Introduction


Book Description

Minerals existed long before any forms of life, playing a key role in the origin and evolution of life; an interaction with biological systems that we are only now beginning to understand. Exploring the traditional strand of mineralogy, which emphasises the important mineral families, the well-established analytical methods (optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction) and the dramatic developments made in techniques over recent decades, David Vaughan also introduces the modern strand of mineralogy, which explores the role minerals play in the plate tectonic cycle and how they interact with the living world. Demonstrating how minerals can be critical for human health and illness by providing essential nutrients and releasing poisons, Vaughan explores the multitude of ways in which minerals have aided our understanding of the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.




Structural-Chemical Systematics of Minerals


Book Description

This book represents new structural-chemical minerals of A.A. Godovikov which reflects the latest data on communication of the chemical composition with structure and properties of minerals, conditions of their formation, their paragenesis. The following features lay its basis: a) the numerous, often not considered earlier chemical signs on which chemical properties of minerals, conditions of their formation or paragenesis may depend; b) the determined consistent patterns of communication between chemical compounds structure and fundamental properties of the elements forming them; c) regularities of structure change and properties of minerals depending on physical and chemical parameters of formation or environment systems. This systematiс considers real associations, differences in physical and chemical parameters at which minerals are forming and existing. In this systematic sometimes the preference is given to the last signs because all natural associations aren't casual in an arrangement of minerals, so they formed as a result of difficult and longtime selection. The properties of minerals are coordinated with their structure, formation conditions. The transition conditions from one taxon to another both at one level and at its deepenings are accurately formulated. The primary type of a chemical bond was accepted as leading sign of five highest taxons. The lowest taxons were allocated on: a) the mineral belongings to izodesmichesky or anizodesmichesky connections; b) the type of anion, cation; c) the coordination number of an anionoobrazovatel; d) the size of CX; e) the type of the structure. The signs which are in the basis for systematization give the chance to find the place for new mineral types in the tables, to change the place of mineral in connection with specification of its formula or structure. They also allow to distinguish new taxons for the new mineral types representing chemical compounds, earlier not known in nature. Thus this systematic is not a stiffened representation but the developing system.




Gemstones


Book Description

Originally published: London: Natural History Museum, 2022, as: The Natural History Museum book of gemstones: a concise reference guide.




Mineralogical Crystallography


Book Description

At the dawn of structural crystallography, Walther Friedrich, Paul Knipping and Max von Laue carried out the first experiments and developed the theory of X-ray diffraction. From the early days, when even the simpler inorganic structures filled an entire PhD study, structural crystallography evolved at its own pace and found new partners in chemistry, physics, materials science, biology and other fields of physical sciences. Both morphological and structural crystallography, however, have remained as important instruments in the mineralogist's toolbox until today. Efforts to enhance the existing instrumentation, to improve our understanding of the theory of diffraction, to study nanoparticulate or poorly ordered materials, and to master large, complex structures continue in all fields of physical sciences. Mineralogy can thus use the fruits of this labour and include them in its toolbox.







Crystallography of Modular Materials


Book Description

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive treatment of theories and applications in the rapidly expanding field of the crystallography of modular materials. Molecules are the natural modules from which molecular crystalline structures are built. Most inorganic structures, however, are infinite arrays of atoms and some kinds of surrogate modules, e.g. co-ordination polyhedra, are usually used to describe them. In recent years the attention has been focused on complex modules as the basis for a systematic description of polytypes and homologous/polysomatic series (modular structures). This representation is applied to the modelling of unknown structures and understanding nanoscale defects and intergrowths in materials. The Order/Disorder (OD) theory is fundamental to developing a systematic theory of polytypism, dealing with those structures based on both ordered and disordered stacking of one or more layers. Twinning at both unit-cell and micro-scale, together with disorder, causes many problems, "demons", for computer-based methods of crystal structure determination. This book develops the theory of twinning with the inclusion of worked examples, converting the "demons" into useful indicators for unravelling crystal structure. In spite of the increasing use of the concepts of modular crystallography for characterising, understanding and tailoring technological crystalline materials, this is the first book to offer a unified treatment of the results, which are spread across many different journals and original papers published over the last twenty years.




Crystal Structures of Compounds Containing Ions Selenite


Book Description

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Crystal Structures of Compounds Containing Ions Selenite that was published in Crystals




Celebrating the International Year of Mineralogy


Book Description

This volume celebrates mineral sciences and what are considered the most important progresses and breakthroughs in this discipline. Authoritative authors, who, in most cases, are the direct discoverers recount the steps of their research, which represent landmark developments of mineralogy and mineralogical crystallography.