In recent years mineralogy has developed even stronger links with solid-state chemistry and physics and these developments have been accompanied by a trend towards further quantification in the theoretical as well as the experimental aspects of the subject. The importance of solid-state chemistry to mineralogy was reflected in a symposium held at the 1982 Annual Congress of The Royal Society of Chemistry at which the original versions of most of the contributions to this book were presented. The meeting brought together chemists, geologists and mineralogists all of whom were interested in the application of modern spectroscopic techniques to the study of bonding in minerals. The interdisci plinary nature of the symposium enabled a beneficial exchange of information from the various fields and it was felt that a book presenting reviews of the key areas of the subject would be a useful addition to both the chemical and mineralogical literature. The field of study which is commonly termed the 'physics and chemistry of minerals' has itself developed very rapidly over recent years. Such rapid development has resulted in many chemists, geologists, geochemists and mineralogists being less familiar than they might wish with the techniques currently available. Central to this field is an understanding of chemical bonding or 'electronic structure' in minerals which has been developed both theoretically and by the use of spectroscopic techniques.

All existing introductory reviews of mineralogy are written accord ing to the same algorithm, sometimes called the "Dana System of Mineralogy". Even modern advanced handbooks, which are cer tainly necessary, include basic data on minerals and are essentially descriptive. When basic information on the chemistry, structure, optical and physical properties, distinguished features and para genesis of 200-400 minerals is presented, then there is practically no further space available to include new ideas and concepts based on recent mineral studies. A possible solution to this dilemma would be to present a book beginning where introductory textbooks end for those already famil iar with the elementary concepts. Such a volume would be tailored to specialists in all fields of science and industry, interested in the most recent results in mineralogy. This approach may be called Advanced Mineralogy. Here, an attempt has been made to survey the current possibilities and aims in mineral matter investigations, including the main characteristics of all the methods, the most important problems and topics of mineral ogy, and related studies. The individual volumes are composed of short, condensed chap ters. Each chapter presents in a complete, albeit condensed, form specific problems, methods, theories, and directions of investigations, and estimates their importance and strategic position in science and industry.

The subject of mineralogy is moving away from the traditional systematic treatment of mineral groups toward the study of the behaviour of minerals in relation to geological processes. A knowledge of how minerals respond to a changing geological environment is fundamental to our understanding of many dynamic earth processes. By adopting a materials science approach, An Introduction to Mineral Sciences explains the principles underlying the modern study of minerals, discussing the behaviour of crystalline materials with changes in temperature, pressure and chemical environment. The concepts required to understand mineral behaviour are often complex, but are presented here in simple, non-mathematical terms for undergraduate mineralogy students. After introductory chapters describing the principles of diffraction, imaging and the spectroscopic methods used to study minerals, the structure and behaviour of the main groups of rock-forming minerals are covered, and the role of defects in the deformation and transformation of a mineral are explained. The energy changes and the rate of transformation processes are introduced using a descriptive approach rather than attempting a complete and rigorous treatment of the thermodynamics and kinetics. Examples and case histories from a range of mineral groups are set in an earth science context, such that the emphasis of this book is to allow the student to develop an intuitive understanding of the structural principles controlling the behaviour of minerals.

All existing introductory reviews of mineralogy are written accord ing to the same algorithm, sometimes called the "Dana System of Mineralogy". Even modern advanced handbooks, which are cer tainly necessary, include basic data on minerals and are essentially descriptive. When basic information on the chemistry, structure, optical and physical properties, distinguished features and para genesis of 200-400 minerals is presented, then there is practically no further space available to include new ideas and concepts based on recent mineral studies. A possible solution to this dilemma would be to present a book beginning where introductory textbooks end for those already famil iar with the elementary concepts. Such a volume would be tailored to specialists in all fields of science and industry, interested in the most recent results in mineralogy. This approach may be called Advanced Mineralogy. Here, an attempt has been made to survey the current possibilities and aims in mineral matter investigations, including the main characteristics of all the methods, the most important problems and topics of mineral ogy, and related studies. The individual volumes are composed of short, condensed chap ters. Each chapter presents in a complete, albeit condensed, form specific problems, methods, theories, and directions of investigations, and estimates their importance and strategic position in science and industry.

Molecular surface science has made enormous progress in the past 30 years. The development can be characterized by a revolution in fundamental knowledge obtained from simple model systems and by an explosion in the number of experimental techniques. The last 10 years has seen an equally rapid development of quantum mechanical modeling of surface processes using Density Functional Theory (DFT). Chemical Bonding at Surfaces and Interfaces focuses on phenomena and concepts rather than on experimental or theoretical techniques. The aim is to provide the common basis for describing the interaction of atoms and molecules with surfaces and this to be used very broadly in science and technology. The book begins with an overview of structural information on surface adsorbates and discusses the structure of a number of important chemisorption systems. Chapter 2 describes in detail the chemical bond between atoms or molecules and a metal surface in the observed surface structures. A detailed description of experimental information on the dynamics of bond-formation and bond-breaking at surfaces make up Chapter 3. Followed by an in-depth analysis of aspects of heterogeneous catalysis based on the d-band model. In Chapter 5 adsorption and chemistry on the enormously important Si and Ge semiconductor surfaces are covered. In the remaining two Chapters the book moves on from solid-gas interfaces and looks at solid-liquid interface processes. In the final chapter an overview is given of the environmentally important chemical processes occurring on mineral and oxide surfaces in contact with water and electrolytes. Gives examples of how modern theoretical DFT techniques can be used to design heterogeneous catalysts This book suits the rapid introduction of methods and concepts from surface science into a broad range of scientific disciplines where the interaction between a solid and the surrounding gas or liquid phase is an essential component Shows how insight into chemical bonding at surfaces can be applied to a range of scientific problems in heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, environmental science and semiconductor processing Provides both the fundamental perspective and an overview of chemical bonding in terms of structure, electronic structure and dynamics of bond rearrangements at surfaces

Analysis of rocks and minerals often requires a specific approach, especially when determining rare and scattered elements, the content of which can be extremely low. This volume presents the main principles of analytical techniques most commonly used in the determination of the chemical composition of minerals and rocks. Special attention is given to methodological features and analytical schemes of various minerals, methods of mineral stripping and use of hybrid methods of analysis.

The physics of minerals in a broad sense implies the fundamental aspects of understanding mineral matter: the electronic structure of atoms related to their behavior in geochemical processes; the atomic and electronic structures of minerals; the properties of minerals, with their genetic, geophysical, and technical significance, and their pressure and temperature dependence; the mechanisms of phenomena and reactions in mineral formation and transformation processes; the physical me thods applied in mineralogical, geochemical and petrological studies, and to a great extent in geological surveys and prospecting. In a narrower sense, it is a branch lying in the border area between mineralogy and solid-state physics, dealing with those aspects of mine ralogy which require, for their understanding and investigation, special knowledge in contemporary physics and chemistry of solids. The physics of minerals accounts for the third crucial change within this century in the conceptual foundations of mineralogy: after physi cochemical mineralogy, from experimental studies of phase relations to parage netic analyses, and crystal chemistry of minerals, there followed solid-state physics, which has evolved to its present state over the past 25 years. The task of mineralogy has expanded greatly. In addition to the identification and description of minerals, it is becoming necessary to establish the relationships between structure, composition and properties of minerals and their genesis, their distribution within geological regions, magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary formations and types of ore deposits. The development of new methods of investigation requires an understanding of the physical meaning of the parameters under evaluation.