Layered materials, because of their particular atomic arrangement, are commonly 2characterized by physical and chemical properties of great interest in numerous technological and environmental processes and applications, as better detailed in the body of this volume. Most of these properties play a significant role in Earth sciences, environmental sciences, technology, biotechnology, material sciences and many other scientific areas. The surface properties of layered materials control important interaction processes, such as coagulation, aggregation, sedimentation, filtration, catalysis and ionic transport in porous media. Layered minerals also control many aspects of Earths rheology, i.e. the movement of geological masses, at least as far down as the lower crust. Given this frameset, it should be no surprise that the extremely large field of investigation of these materials can, and in most of the cases must, be approached from several different viewpoints. However, providing full coverage of the immense literature devoted to all the topics above may be impractical, if not impossible. Nevertheless, providing our students, to whom this book is addressed, with fundamental knowledge on different disciplines and providing examples demonstrating the application of these foundations in their daily research, is feasible and certainly useful.

Clays and clay minerals are the most abundant natural reactive solids on the Earth's surface. This comprehensive review considers clay science in the context of the Critical Zone - the Earth's permeable near-surface layer. Providing information on clays and clay minerals related to geological, biological and material sciences in the Critical Zone, it's well suited for graduate students and researchers interested in clay science, and environmental and soil mineralogy. The book starts with an introduction to clays and clay minerals, their historic background, and a review of how clay science impacts the Critical Zone. Examples and applications demonstrate how clays regulate habitats and determine the availability of other resources. These examples are supported by quantitative field data, including numerical and graphical depictions of clay and clay mineral occurrences. The book concludes by covering Critical Zone clay geochemistry and clay sequences, including the industrial, synthetic medical and extra-terrestrial world of clay science.

Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) are two-dimensional materials with unique physiochemical properties, which enable their use in a wide range of applications such as catalysis, biomaterials, energy, filler of polymeric composites, and water remediation.This book addresses basic aspects of LDH as the implementations in the methodologies based on density functional theory (DFT) to understand the properties and applications of LDHs, the synthetic methods to prepare LDHs and LDH based core-shell structures, and the swelling and exfoliation behaviors of LDH compounds. A relevant part of the book is devoted to consolidated and emerging applications of LDHs as catalysts in photocatalysis, electrocatalysis and water oxidation processes, as biomaterials and as functional fillers in food packaging. New advances on LDH are described with a keen eye on the past research.

Tribology of Polymer Composites: Characterization, Properties, and Applications provides an exhaustive overview of the latest research, trends, applications and future directions of the tribology of polymer composites. Covering novel methods for the synthesis of polymer composites and their properties, the book starts by reviewing the fabrication techniques, wear and frictional properties of polymer composite materials. From there, it features chapters looking at the tribological behavior and properties of specific polymer composite materials such as synthetic fiber-reinforced, cellulose fiber-reinforced, wood fiber, synthetic fiber, mineral fiber-reinforced, and thermosetting composites. Final chapters cover the tribology of polymer nanocomposites and particulate polymer composites and their metal coatings. Applied examples spanning a wide range of industries are emphasized in each chapter. - Demonstrates the potential of polymer composites and their applications - Covers novel methods for the synthesis of polymer composites and their properties - Reviews the fabrication techniques, wear and frictional properties of polymer composite materials

This book is a systematic compilation of the most recent body of knowledge in the rapidly developing research area of greenhouse gas interaction with clay systems. Unexpected results of the most recent studies – such as unusually high sorption capacity and sorption hysteresis of swelling clays –stimulated theoretical activity in this fascinating field. Classical molecular dynamics (MD) explains swelling caused by intercalation of water molecules and to a certain degree of CO2 molecules in clay interlayer. However, unusual frequency shifts in the transient infrared fingerprints of the intercalated molecules and the following accelerated carbonation can be tackled only via quantum mechanical modeling. This book provides a streamlined (from simple to complex) guide to the most advanced research efforts in this field.

The first edition of the Handbook of Clay Science published in 2006 assembled the scattered literature on the varied and diverse aspects that make up the discipline of clay science. The topics covered range from the fundamental structures (including textures) and properties of clays and clay minerals, through their environmental, health and industrial applications, to their analysis and characterization by modern instrumental techniques. Also included are the clay-microbe interaction, layered double hydroxides, zeolites, cement hydrates, and genesis of clay minerals as well as the history and teaching of clay science. The 2e adds new information from the intervening 6 years and adds some important subjects to make this the most comprehensive and wide-ranging coverage of clay science in one source in the English language. - Provides up-to-date, comprehensive information in a single source - Covers applications of clays, as well as the instrumental analytical techniques - Provides a truly multidisciplinary approach to clay science

This volume provides a comprehensive academic review of both positive and negative effects of minerals on human health and quality of life. The book adopts the concept of mineral latu sensu (mineral l.s.), which encompasses a broad spectrum of natural, inorganic, solid, and crystalline, of natural and inorganic chemical elements (metals and metalloids), of modified natural minerals, of biominerals, and of syntetic minerals, all products that branch across the disciplines of earth, soil, environmental, materials, nutrition, and health sciences. Using this broad framework, the authors are able to provide a multidisciplinary assessment on many types of minerals which can be essential, beneficial and hazardous to human health, covering applications in medical geology, medical hydrology or balneotherapy, pharmacology, chemistry, nutrition, and biophysics. The book performs historical analyses of the uses of minerals for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes to better understand current trends and developments in mineral research and human health. The book will be of interest to students, public health officials, environmental agencies and researchers from various disciplines, as well as scientific societies and organizations focusing on medical geology, health resort medicine (crenotherapy, hydrotherapy and climatotherapy), and on pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biomedical applications.