Carbonatites are igneous rocks comprising more than 50 modal percent of carbonate minerals and characterized by highly variable modal compositions. The majority of carbonatites are confined to intra-continental rifts, whereas occurrences associated with plate margins and orogenic settings are less common. Petrogenesis of carbonatites has been a matter of intense debate for several decades. The possible genetic models include crystallisation from a primary carbonatite magma, liquid immiscibility and crystal fractionation from carbonate-rich silicate magma. In contrast to the voluminous bulk-rock trace-element data and major-element analyses of minerals from carbonatites available in the literature, there has been no systematic study concerned with the trace-element signatures of the most common constituents of these rocks. This work is the first comprehensive study of the interrelations between the trace-element chemistry of the most common constituents of carbonatites, the geochemistry of these rocks, and their tectonic setting. The rock samples examined represent 21 different localities worldwide. The extent of major- and trace-element substitutions in amphibole, clinopyroxene, trioctahedral micas, dolomite, magnetite and perovskite is investigated in detail. The silicate minerals from carbonatites exhibit much larger compositional diversity than previously recognized. They can incorporate significant amounts of such petrogenetically important elements as Sr, REE, Zr, Nb and Ta. The majority of studied clino-amphibole- and clinopyroxene-group minerals exhibit previously unrecognized a bimodal distribution patterns of REE, which can be explained in terms of crystal chemistry of these phases. The trace-element signature of phlogopite from carbonatites, particularly Nb, Mn, Ni and Cr, is distinctly different from that of phlogopite from kimberlites, and can be used as a reliable petrogenetic indicator. Compositional variations in dolomite reflect magmatic and subsolidus processes in carbonatites. Magnetite from carbonatites follows a well-defined magmatic and previously unrecognized reaction trend. Contrary to prior studies, this mineral is only a minor host of HFSE in carbonatitic rocks. The U-Pb age data, trace-element and Sr-isotopic composition of perovskite from the Afrikanda carbonatite and clinopyroxenite suggest that the two rocks are not related by crystal fractionation. This study underlines the importance of a systematic approach in petrogenetic studies based on trace-element distribution.

Transition metal oxides constitute a large class of materials with variety of very interesting properties and important technological utility. A subset with perovskite structure has been the subject matter of the current theoretical investigation with an emphasis on their electronic and structural behavior. An analytical and a computational method are used to calculate physical entities like lattice parameters, bulk moduli, band structures, density of electronic states and charge density distributions for various topologies. Results are discussed and compared with the available experimental findings.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-140).

Thesis (M.Eng.)(Metallurgical)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2002. / Adviser: Anthony Petric. Includes bibliographical referernces. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2002. / Adviser: Anthony Petric. Includes bibliographical referernces. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 322-338).

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, April 2007.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 56-61.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:06:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FlaviaMA_DISSERT.pdf: 2525916 bytes, checksum: e66ea09a8c50d8b220412e1d5685d5d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-11 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / In this work have been studied the preparation, characterization and kinetic study of decomposition of the polymerizing agent used in the synthesis under non-isothermal condition ceramics PrMO3 of general formula (M = Co and Ni). These materials were obtained starting from the respective metal nitrates, as a cations source, and making use of gelatin as polymerizing agent. The powders were calcined at temperatures of 500?C, 700?C and 900?C and characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG / DTG/ DTA), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The perovskite phase was detected in all the X-rays patterns. In the infrared spectroscopy observed the oxide formation as the calcination temperature increases with the appearance of the band metal - oxygen. The images of SEM revealed uniform distribution for the PrCoO3 and particles agglomerated as consequence of particle size for PrNiO3. From the data of thermal analysis, the kinetics of decomposition of organic matter was employed using the kinetics methods called Model Free Kinetics and Flynn and Wall, in the heating ratios 10, 20 and 30? C.min-1 between room temperature and 700?C. Finally, been obtained the values of activation energy for the region of greatest decomposition of organic matter in samples that were determined by the degree of conversion (α) / Neste trabalho foi realizado a prepara??o, caracteriza??o e um estudo cin?tico da decomposi??o t?rmica do agente polimerizante utilizado na s?ntese sob condi??o n?o isot?rmica de materiais cer?micos de f?rmula geral PrMO3 (M = Co ou Ni). Esses materiais foram obtidos partindo dos respectivos nitratos met?licos, como fonte de c?tions, e fazendo uso da gelatina como agente polimerizante. Os p?s-obtidos foram calcinados a temperaturas de 500?C, 700?C e 900?C e caracterizados pelas t?cnicas de Difra??o de Raios X (DRX), An?lise Termogravim?trica (TG/DTG/DTA), Espectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho (FTIR), Redu??o ? Temperatura Programada (RTP) e Microscopia Eletr?nica de Varredura (MEV). A fase perovsquita foi evidenciada em todos os difratogramas de raios X para os materiais de PrCoO3 e PrNiO3. Nos espectros de FTIR foi observado a forma??o do ?xido na medida em que a temperatura de calcina??o aumenta com o aparecimento da banda referente ? liga??o Metal Oxig?nio. As imagens do MEV evidenciaram distribui??o uniforme para o PrCoO3 e part?culas aglomeradas em consequ?ncia do tamanho da part?cula para o PrNiO3. Com os dados da an?lise t?rmica, o estudo ci-n?tico da decomposi??o da mat?ria org?nica foi empregado utilizando-se os m?todos cin?ticos denominados Model Free Kinetics e Flynn e Wall, nas raz?es de aquecimento 10, 20 e 30?C.min-1 entre a temperatura ambiente e 700?C. Foram obtidos os valores das energias de ativa??o para a regi?o de maior decomposi??o da mat?ria org?nica nas amostras que foram determinadas como uma fun??o do grau de convers?o (α)