An investigation of the geological resources of the Southern Highlands was undertaken and over two hundred samples were collected and examined for possible use as stoneware ceramic ingredients. Thirty four of these samples were tested for possible use as clay body ingredients, while sixty five samples were selected for assessment as glaze ingredients. A wood fired kiln was built from firebricks produced from a local deposit of a white bauxite related material. Materials selected as a result of these tests were combined to create ceramic objects fired at stoneware temperatures. The most interesting result of the investigation was the discovery of a number of small weathered dykes and sills, samples from which were developed into workable ceramic clay bodies and glazes using a simple empirical testing procedure. A previously unknown excellent white translucent native porcelain stone or ‘bai tunze’ was discovered and developed into a workable porcelain body. Some iron stained porcelain bodies that ‘flashed’ red in the wood firing kiln were also developed. Exhibitions of the creative work produced were shown in the ‘Legge Gallery’, a Fine Art gallery in Sydney. Two critical reviews of those shows appeared in the magazine Craft Arts International, No. 64, 2005, pp 106-107 and The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 21-24. Several papers were published detailing various aspects of the research: “The Search for Raw Materials in the Southern Highlands” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 22-23; “Flotation – A method of refining useful minerals”, in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 24-25; “Magic Dirt” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 76-79; “New work from an old landscape”, in Ceramics Technical, 24, 2007. pp 45-52;“From the ground up”, in Ceramic review, issue 222, 2006, pp 54-55. The research concludes that the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is geologically rich in suitable materials for the production of stoneware ceramics and that there are a few specific bai tunze like materials that are very interesting and have considerable aesthetic potential. The research determined that these bai tunze like materials are potentially capable of being developed into clay bodies and glazes of great beauty. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

An investigation of the geological resources of the Southern Highlands was undertaken and over two hundred samples were collected and examined for possible use as stoneware ceramic ingredients. Thirty four of these samples were tested for possible use as clay body ingredients, while sixty five samples were selected for assessment as glaze ingredients. A wood fired kiln was built from firebricks produced from a local deposit of a white bauxite related material. Materials selected as a result of these tests were combined to create ceramic objects fired at stoneware temperatures. The most interesting result of the investigation was the discovery of a number of small weathered dykes and sills, samples from which were developed into workable ceramic clay bodies and glazes using a simple empirical testing procedure. A previously unknown excellent white translucent native porcelain stone or ‘bai tunze’ was discovered and developed into a workable porcelain body. Some iron stained porcelain bodies that ‘flashed’ red in the wood firing kiln were also developed. Exhibitions of the creative work produced were shown in the ‘Legge Gallery’, a Fine Art gallery in Sydney. Two critical reviews of those shows appeared in the magazine Craft Arts International, No. 64, 2005, pp 106-107 and The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 21-24. Several papers were published detailing various aspects of the research: “The Search for Raw Materials in the Southern Highlands” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 22-23; “Flotation – A method of refining useful minerals”, in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 41#3, pp 24-25; “Magic Dirt” in The Journal of Australian Ceramics, Vol 46 #1 pp 76-79; “New work from an old landscape”, in Ceramics Technical, 24, 2007. pp 45-52;“From the ground up”, in Ceramic review, issue 222, 2006, pp 54-55. The research concludes that the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is geologically rich in suitable materials for the production of stoneware ceramics and that there are a few specific bai tunze like materials that are very interesting and have considerable aesthetic potential. The research determined that these bai tunze like materials are potentially capable of being developed into clay bodies and glazes of great beauty. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Η ύπαρξη αργιλικών ορυκτών εντός των ζωνών διάρρηξης επηρεάζει σημαντικά και ελέγχει τη μηχανική και σεισμική συμπεριφορά των ρηγμάτων. Ο σχηματισμός των μαλακών αργίλων σε πετρώματα ρηξιγενών ζωνών μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε εξασθένηση (fault zone weakening) της ζώνης διάρρηξης, καθώς και στην ανάπτυξη των ιστών μέσω αυθιγένεσης και μηχανικής περιστροφής, ενώ παράλληλα επηρεάζει τη διαπερατότητα της ζώνης διάρρηξης. Η παρουσία των αργιλικών ορυκτών σε πετρώματα ρηξιγενών ζωνών παίζει επίσης σπουδαίο ρόλο στην κυκλοφορία των ρευστών τόσο μέσα στον πυρήνα όσο και την ευρύτερη ζώνη διάρρηξης (damage zone). Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία μελετήθηκε η ρηξιγενής ζώνη της Αρκίτσας, που αναπτύσσεται στο νότιο τμήμα του B. Ευβοϊκού κόλπου με γενική διεύθυνση ΑΒΑ-ΔΝΔ, με σκοπό να εξεταστεί αν η ρηξιγενής ζώνη αποτελεί δίαυλο ρευστής φάσης και να αναγνωριστούν τα πιθανά χαρακτηριστικά της κυκλοφορίας των ρευστών αυτών. Αντιπροσωπευτικά δείγματα πλούσια σε αργιλικό υλικό συλλέχθηκαν τόσο από τον πυρήνα του ρήγματος (fault core) όσο και από την ευρύτερη ζώνη διάρρηξης (fault damage zone). Τα δείγματα αναλύθηκαν με την χρήση περιθλασιμετρίας ακτίνων Χ, ηλεκτρονικής μικροσκοπίας σάρωσης και μικροανάλυσης. Στο κέντρο της ρηξιγενούς ζώνης αναγνωρίστηκαν αργιλικά ορυκτά όπως μοντμοριλλονίτης, κορρενσίτης και ιλλίτης καθώς και μικροκρυσταλλικός ασβεστίτης, δολομίτης, χαλαζίας, πλαγιόκλαστο και αλκαλικός άστριος. Η απουσία του κορρενσίτη από την ευρύτερη ζώνη διάρρηξης, ενός αργιλικού ορυκτού που συνήθως σχηματίζεται σε υδροθερμικές συνθήκες, υποδηλώνει ότι η κυκλοφορία των ρευστών περιορίστηκε κυρίως εντός και περιμετρικά του ρήγματος. Οι ορυκτολογικές παραγενέσεις στη ρηξιγενή ζώνη και κυρίως η παρουσία του κορρενσίτη, σε συνδυασμό με την απουσία του λομοντίτη, υποδεικνύουν συνθήκες υδροθερμικής εξαλλοίωσης σε ουδέτερο προς αλκαλικό περιβάλλον και σε θερμοκρασίες 100-150oC. / Clay minerals in shallow fault rocks are increasingly recognized as key to the mechanical and seismogenic behavior of faults and fluid flow circulation within the fault core and the surrounding damage zone. We therefore studied fault-gouge mineralogy from samples derived from the ENE-trending Arkitsa fault zone, in east-central Greece, in order to testify if the fault is acting as a channel for fluid flow and whether the conditions that characterize the flow can be identified. Clay-gouge samples were collected within the fault core zone, as well as in the broader fault damage area. Consequently, the samples were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction, SEM and Electron microprobe analyses. The minerals that were identified within the centre of the fault zone are: Montmorillonite, corrensite, illite, micro-calcite, dolomite, quartz, plagioclase and K-feldspars. The absence of corrensite, a clay mineral usually formed in hydrothermal conditions, in the samples from the broader fault damage area indicates that the circulation of hydrothermal fluids is mostly confined within and around the fault core zone. The assemblages within the fault gouge zone and especially the presence of corrensite, combined with the absence of laumontite, indicate hydrothermal alteration at neutral to alkaline conditions and a temperature range at about 100-150 oC.

No description available.

No description available.

Compacted shales cause problems because they tend to degrade with time due to weathering. Degradation results in the shale deteriorating from a hard rock-like material to a soft fine-grained soil mass with lower shear strength and high deformability. Consequently, common problems that occur in embankments constructed with compacted shales include settlement and instabilities. Therefore, accelerating weathering prior to compaction by wetting and breaking down the shales before placement can reduce the deterioration during the service life of the construction. Extensive laboratory testing was performed in order to characterize the mechanical behavior of compacted shales. Critical State theory is a clever framework that describes the mechanical behavior of soils with a simple system of equations that explains all the aspects of compression and shear of soils. NorSand is a model constructed in the framework of the Critical State theory that decouples the yield loci from the normally consolidated line. This characteristic made this model suitable for compacted shales. Also, empirical evidence showed that the plastic behavior of compacted shales is controlled by a Nova type flow rule that is a function of the mineralogical characteristics of the shales. This finding has implications in the shape of the yield loci and the hardening rule.

Salt marshes are one of the most difficult environments to remediate due to their sensitive and important ecosystems. Traditional cleanup methods can do more harm to the marsh than the oil itself. Bioremediation is the preferred cleanup approach for these delicate environments. Typically bioremediation has been carried out by the addition of nutrients but the results have been inconsistent. Previous laboratory studies conducted in oiled seawater demonstrated that clay minerals enhanced microbial growth and hence oil degradation. However, this had not been tested at field sites or on oiled marine sediments where oil is known to persist. The main objectives of this research were to test clay minerals as a bioremediation alternative for enhancing degradation of oiled salt marsh sediments and evaluate the geochemistry of sediment profiles for heavy metal enrichment. Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the application of montmorillonite or kaolinite clay minerals on salt marsh sediments impacted by diesel oil. Oil biodegradation in control experiments was significantly more successful than in clay amended experiments. Clay minerals may have caused an increase in pH which inhibited enzyme-catalyzed processes required for metabolism. Field experiments were carried out in control and clay treatment plots in Louisiana salt marshes impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In this research it was demonstrated for the first time that biodegradation of n-alkanes and PAHs was significantly enhanced by the addition of montmorillonite compared to controls. Vegetated treatment plots were slightly more effective than non-vegetative treatment areas. It is suggested that bivalent cations adsorbed to montmroillonite’s surface suppressed the diffuse double layer. This allowed the oil along the clay’s surface to be accessible to the bacteria where oil could be readily consumed. Clay minerals may serve as a new and unique bioremediation strategy for oiled salt marsh sediments. Geochemical sediment profiles from Louisiana salt marshes showed elevated concentrations of selected heavy metals (Zn > Cu > Pb > V > Cr > Fe > Ni). The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a likely source of metal enrichment as many of these same metals are also constituents of the Deepwater Horizon oil.

Thesis (M.Eng.). / Written for the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/03/12). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Master)--İzmir Institute of Technology,İzmir, 2005 / Includes bibliographical references (leaves. 84).