Mineralogical compositions of sediment samples from the San Francisco Bay coastal system

The mineralogical compositions of 119 samples collected from throughout the San Francisco Bay coastal system, including bayfloor and seafloor, area beaches, cliff outcrops, and major drainages, were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Comparison of the mineral concentrations and application of statistical cluster analysis of XRD spectra allowed for the determination of provenances and transport pathways. The use of XRD mineral identifications provides semi-quantitative compositions needed for comparisons of beach and offshore sands with potential cliff and river sources, but the innovative cluster analysis of XRD diffraction spectra provides a unique visualization of how groups of samples within the San Francisco Bay coastal system are related so that sand-sized sediment transport pathways can be inferred. The main vector for sediment transport as defined by the XRD analysis is from San Francisco Bay to the outer coast, where the sand then accumulates on the ebb tidal delta and also moves alongshore. This mineralogical link defines a critical pathway because large volumes of sediment have been removed from the Bay over the last century via channel dredging, aggregate mining, and borrow pit mining, with comparable volumes of erosion from the ebb tidal delta over the same period, in addition to high rates of shoreline retreat along the adjacent, open-coast beaches. Therefore, while previously only a temporal relationship was established, the transport pathway defined by mineralogical and geochemical tracers support the link between anthropogenic activities in the Bay and widespread erosion outside the Bay. The XRD results also establish the regional and local importance of sediment derived from cliff erosion, as well as both proximal and distal fluvial sources. This research is an important contribution to a broader provenance study aimed at identifying the driving forces for widespread geomorphic change in a heavily urbanized coastal-estuarine system.

Phase equilibria in high MgO ferro-manganese and silico-manganese smelting slags

Liquidus isotherms and phase equilibria have been determined experimentally for a pseudo-ternary section of the form MnO-(CaO+MgO)-(SiO2+Al2O3) with a fixed Al-2,O-3,/SiO2, weight ratio of 0.17 and MgO/CaO weight ratio of 0.17 for temperatures in the range 1473-1673 K. The primary phase fields present for the section investigated include manganosite (Mn,Mg,Ca)O; dicalcium silicate alpha-2(Ca,Mg,Mn)O (.) SiO2; merwinite 3CaO(.) ((Mg,Mn)O.2SiO(2); wollastonite [(Ca,Mg,Mn)(OSiO2)-Si-.]; ;tephroite [2(Mn,Mg)O.SiO2]; rhodonite [(Mn,Mg)O. diopside [(CaO,MgO,MnO,Al2O3)(SiO2)-Si-.]; tridymite (SiO2), SiO2] and melilite [2CaO (.) (MgO,MnO,Al2O3).2(SiO2,Al2O3)]. The liquidus temperatures relevant to ferro-manganese and silico-manganese smelting slags have been determined. The liquiclus temperature is shown to be principally dependent on the modified basicity weight ratio (CaO+Mgo)/(SiO2+Al2O3) at low MnO concentrations, and dependent on the mole ratio (CaO+ MgO+MnO)/(SiO2+Al2O3) at higher MnO concentrations.

Effects of Al2O3 on phase equilibria in the olivine primary phase field of the MgO-"FeO"-SiO2-Al2O3 system in equilibrium with metallic iron

Liquidus temperatures and phase equilibria have been determined in the olivine primary phase field of the MgO-FeO-SiO2-Al2O3 system. Liquidus isotherms have been determined in the temperature range from 1748 to 1873K. The results are presented in the form of pseudo-ternary sections of the MgO-FeO-SiO2 with 2 and 3wt% Al2O3 in the liquid. The study enables the liquidus to be described for a range of SiO2/MgO ratios. It was found that liquidus temperatures in the olivine primary phase field decrease with the addition of Al2O3.

Phase equilibria in high MgO ferro- and silico-manganese smelting slags

Phase equilibria have been determined experimentally for pseudo-ternary sections of the form “MnO”- (CaO+MgO)-(SiO2+Al2O3) with a fixed Al2O3/SiO2 weight ratio of 0.17 and MgO/CaO weight ratios of 0.25 and 0.17 respectively for temperatures in the range 1473-1673 K. The primary phase fields present for the MgO/CaO weight ratio of 0.17 include manganosite (Mn,Mg,Ca)O; dicalcium silicate α-2(Ca,Mg,Mn)O·SiO2; merwinite 3CaO⋅(Mg,Mn)O⋅2SiO2; wollastonite [(Ca,Mg,Mn)O·SiO2]; diopside [(CaO,MgO,MnO,Al2O3)·SiO2]; tridymite (SiO2); tephroite [2(Mn,Mg)O·SiO2]; rhodonite [(Mn,Mg)O·SiO2] and melilite [2CaO·(MgO,MnO,Al2O3)·2(SiO2,Al2O3)]. For the section with MgO/CaO weight ratio of 0.25 the anorthite phase (CaO⋅Al2O3⋅2SiO2) is also present. The liquidus temperatures of ferro- and silico-manganese smelting slags have been determined. The liquidus temperatures at low MnO concentrations are shown to be principally dependent on the modified basicity weight ratio (CaO+MgO)/(SiO2+Al2O3).

Obtenção de filtro cerâmico a partir da diatomita e casca de arroz carbonizada visando tratamento de efluente têxtil

The effluents released by the textile industry have high concentrations of alkali, carbohydrates, proteins, in addition to colors containing heavy metals. Therefore, a filter was prepared aiming primarily to the removal of color. In order to prepare this filter, rice hulls and diatomite were used, which have in their structure, basically amorphous hydrated silica. The silica exists in three crystalline forms: quartz, tridymite and cristobalite. In accordance with the above considerations, this study was divided into two stages; the first corresponds to the preparation of the filter and the second to carry out the tests in the effluent/filter in order to verify the efficiency of the color removal. First, the raw material was subjected to a chemical analysis and XRD, and then the diatomite was mixed, via humid, with a planetarium windmill with 20 %, 40 %, 60 % and 80 % of rice husk ash. To the mixture, 5 % carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was added as a binder at room temperature. The samples were uniaxially compacted into metallic matrix of 0.3 x 0.1 cm² of area at a pressure of 167 MPa by means of hydraulic press and then sintered at temperatures of 1,000 °C, 1,200 °C and 1,400 °C for 1 h and submitted to granulometry test using laser, linear retraction, water absorption, apparent porosity and resistance to bending, DTA, TMA and XRD. To examine the pore structure of the samples scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used. Also tests were carried out in a mercury porosimeter to verify the average size of the pores and real density of the samples. In the second stage, samples of the effluent were collected from a local industry, whose name will be preserved, located in Igapó, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte - RN. The effluent was first pretreated before filtration and then subjected to a treatment of flotation. The effluent was then characterized before and after filtration, with parameters of color, turbidity, suspended solids, pH, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD). Thus, through the XRD analysis the formation of cristobalite α in all samples was observed. The best average size of pore was found to be 1.75 μm with 61.04 % apparent porosity, thus obtaining an average 97.9 % color removal and 99.8 % removal of suspended solid