B018830 - METHODS OF MINERAL ANALYSES

Italian

Fundamental knowledge of the Scanning and Transmission Electronic Microscopies and main applications to the study of minerals; Electron Probe Microanalysis. Chemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence.
Introduction to the most common spectroscopic methods in mineralogy.

1) G. P. Bernardini – Metodi Fisici di Analisi Mineralogica – Firenze University Press (1982)
2) A. Putnis – Introduction to Mineral Sciences – Cambridge University Press (1992)

Multidisciplinary skill in mineral characterisation including physical, chemical and physical-chemical features.
Basic approach to the most used spectroscopies in Mineralogy.

Knowledge acquired in the courses of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrography

Contact class with use of blackboard, video-projector for computer, overhead projector.
Laboratory exercises at research facilities (electron microscopies, XRF, EPR).
Practical exercises at teaching laboratories (IR).

6 CFU, frequency of lessons is highly recommended, but not mandatory;

Oral examination with eventual discussion of a scientific article given by the teacher

Mineral separation and preparation for instrumental investigations.
Electron microscopy: introduction; the SEM microscope (instrumentation).
Secondary electrons and Backscattered electrons images. X-ray micrography; EDS microanalysis; examples.
New instrumentations: FEG, ESEM, EBSD.
Electron MicroProbe; WDS quantitative microanalysis; ZAF correction; X-ray element distribution maps. Accuracy, precision, detection limit. SIMS, introduction, instrumentation and examples.
Mineral stoichiometry calculations.
Diffraction theory; Bragg equation, Ewald sphere; reciprocal lattice.
TEM microscopy: introduction, and instrumentation. Bright field and dark field images; electron diffraction. Examples.
Point, line and planar defects; polytypism and polysomatism; Metamict minerals; mineral superstructures.
XRF spectrometry: instrumentation, sample preparation, EDS and WDS analysis; quantitative methods.
IR spectroscopy: introduction, instrumentation sample preparation; quantitative methods. Examples in mineralogy and earth sciences.
Introduction to EPR spectroscopy.
Introduction to synchrotron radiation: large facilities and potential use for Earth Sciences purposes (X-ray difffraction, absorption and tomography).
XAS spectroscopy; the EXAFS and XANES regions; examples in mineralogy.