A bold new story of human progress, told through six materials that built our world and will transform our future.

Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. They built our world, and they will transform our future.

These are the six most crucial substances in human history. They took us from the Dark Ages to the present day. They power our computers and phones, build our homes and offices, and create life-saving medicines. But most of us take them completely for granted.

In Material World, Ed Conway travels the globe - from the sweltering depths of the deepest mine in Europe, to spotless silicon chip factories in Taiwan, to the eerie green pools where lithium originates - to uncover a secret world we rarely see. Revealing the true marvel of these substances, he follows the mind-boggling journeys, miraculous processes and little-known companies that turn the raw materials we all need into products of astonishing complexity.

As we wrestle with climate change, energy crises and the threat of new global conflict, Conway shows why these substances matter more than ever before, and how the hidden battle to control them will shape our geopolitical future. This is the story of civilisation - our ambitions and glory, innovations and appetites - from a new perspective: literally from the ground up.

Gemstones have been a source of fascination for Millenia, from the icy brilliance of diamond and the soft iridescence of pearl, to the deep red garnets treasured by ancient Egyptians and Victorians alike. They are used for their natural beauty in jewellery, worn for protection as talismans, associated with romance and power. They are also of scientific importance, forming over billions of years and containing secrets to the inner earth. This book examines the world's most commonly encountered gemstones, exploring their unique beauty, rarity, and durability. It reveals how these gem materials formed, where they are mined, how they are identified by their physical and optical properties, their enhancements and imitations. Travelling through each gem's history and use in adornment, it is filled with fascinating facts for the curious to the professional. With sumptuous colour photographs, Gemstones is a dazzling insight into the world of the rare and valuable.

This comprehensive handbook and ready reference details all the main achievements in the field of perovskite-based and related mixed-oxide materials. The authors discuss, in an unbiased manner, the potentials as well as the challenges related to their use, thus offering new perspectives for research and development on both an academic and industrial level. The first volume begins by summarizing the different synthesis routes from molten salts at high temperatures to colloidal crystal template methods, before going on to focus on the physical properties of the resulting materials and their related applications in the fields of electronics, energy harvesting, and storage as well as electromechanics and superconductivity. The second volume is dedicated to the catalytic applications of perovskites and related mixed oxides, including, but not limited to total oxidation of hydrocarbons, dry reforming of methane and denitrogenation. The concluding section deals with the development of chemical reactors and novel perovskite-based applications, such as fuel cells and high-performance ceramic membranes. Throughout, the contributions clearly point out the intimate links between structure, properties and applications of these materials, making this an invaluable tool for materials scientists and for catalytic and physical chemists.

Explore Earth's natural treasures, from their primeval origins to traditional uses and modern-day appeal with this illustrated guide to rocks, minerals, crystals, gems and more! Featuring sparkling crystals, vibrant gemstones, and other precious materials often prized for their beauty, such as amber, coral, and fossils, this illustrated guide is sure to captivate every rockhound and budding gemmologist. Learn how to identify more than 450 rock and mineral specimens through beautiful photographs and key characteristics. Discover more about rocks and minerals through folklore and historical artefacts, and find out the fascinating stories behind some of the amazing natural treasures, including the Hope Diamond and the Great Mogul emerald. Plus there is information on polishing and displaying your finds to further equip you with all the knowledge needed to become a rock and mineral collector. Dive deep into this riveting book on rocks and minerals to further discover: - Comprehensive coverage of more than 450 specimens of rocks, minerals, crystals, gems and fossils. - Expert text and high-quality images combine to make this an indispensable reference tool for every rockhound and budding gemmologist. - Detailed reference panels provide key at-a-glance information for identifying specimens. - Feature panels on folklore, historical artefacts, and famous gems tell the fascinating stories of rocks and minerals. - Includes information on collecting and showing rocks and minerals Practical advice on cutting, polishing, and displaying your finds further equips you with all the knowledge needed to delve into the arena of rock and mineral collecting.

Fluorite is found everywhere, has been important to industry for centuries, and is a minor ornamental material as well. Fluorite presents a fascinating array of colors, habits, and associated minerals and is widely available. See spectacularly large "museum quality" specimens that can be found. Fluorite presents a wealth of scientific opportunities to see crystallography, geochemistry, and solid-state physics at work in the natural world. This book includes information for the hobby collector or rock hound, as well as technical information for those who want to understand fluorite in greater depth. It provides over 140 full-color examples and extensive references to the formation and geographic locations of fluorite. This book is essential for everyone with a passion for minerals.

All set to become the standard reference on the topic, this book covers the most important procedures for chemical functionalization, making it an indispensable resource for all chemists, physicists, materials scientists and engineers entering or already working in the field. Expert authors share their knowledge on a wide range of different functional groups, including organic functional groups, hydrogen, halogen, nanoparticles and polymers.

Geochemical methods of prospecting for and evaluation of minerals are applied widely today at all stages of geological exploration. However, geochemical methods of prospecting for many classes of non-metallic minerals have not been elaborated.
This book is a completely revised, updated and expanded edition of the publication by the same authors, which was published in 1987. The contains a collection the latest data on geochemical prospecting for non-metals, which is valuable in view of the anticipated increase of consumption and utilization of non-metallic minerals in the future.
The information on various types of raw material is presented in the following sequence: 1) general data (genetic types, conditions of formation, geological prospecting indications); 2) indicator minerals and elements; 3) geochemical methods of prospecting along dispersion trains and haloes, plus hydrogeochemical and geobotanical methods; 4) primary endogenic haloes; 5) vertical geochemical zonality; 6) methods, stages and sequence of work.

Covering theory and practice, this wide-ranging introductory textbook covers the main optical properties of rock-forming minerals that can be recognized under the polarizing microscope. The authors elucidate the basic elements of microscopy, the theory of light transmission through translucent minerals, and the properties of light reflected from opaque minerals. They discuss properties of the main silicate and non-silicate minerals, both translucent and opaque and how the optical properties may be used to identify a mineral. The book features many diagrams, summary tables, and four pages of color illustrations, making it an ideal textbook as well as an authoritative reference.

Professor Matthew Heddle (1828-97) was a larger-than-life character, a renowned academic and one of Scotland's most famous mineralogists. His rich legacy includes: Encyclopaedia Britannica 9th edition (section on Mineralogy) A fossil fish Heddleichthys A mineral named after him (Mattheddleite) A summary of the Mineralogy of Scotland (published posthumously) 55 scientific papers 5,700 specimens from his collection now housed in the National Museum of Scotland and the National Museums Collection Centre. 10 children This book, by Heddle's great-great-grandson, is not an account of his scientific work but is about Heddle the man; it provides a much fuller picture of him than anything that has appeared before.

A comprehensive, illustrated identification guide for beginners and serious collectors alike, featuring special colour photography of specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London. Rocks are minerals are naturally occurring compounds formed by intense geological processes in the Earth's crust such as volcanic eruptions. With striking colour photography of rocks and minerals from around the globe, this detailed and easy-to-use guide is designed to help readers identify specimens and begin collecting. Fully fact checked by the Department of Mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, London, this guide will give you geological knowledge at your fingertips.

This second edition is fully updated to include new developments in the study of metamorphism as well as enhanced features to facilitate course teaching. It integrates a systematic account of the mineralogical changes accompanying metamorphism of the major rock types with discussion of the conditions and settings in which they formed. The use of textures to understand metamorphic history and links to rock deformation are also explored. Specific chapters are devoted to rates and timescales of metamorphism and to the tectonic settings in which metamorphic belts develop. These provide a strong connection to other parts of the geology curriculum. Key thermodynamic and chemical concepts are introduced through examples which demonstrate their application and relevance. Richly illustrated in colour and featuring end-of-chapter and online exercises, this textbook is a comprehensive introduction to metamorphic rocks and processes for undergraduate students of petrology, and provides a solid basis for advanced study and research.

Unearth a treasure trove of knowledge of over 130 gemstones from around the world. Learn how gemstones are formed and how to recognise them by their unique qualities and colours. A wonderful book for beginners, students, and gemstone-enthusiasts that includes the latest scientific research and gemstone classification. Gemstones is filled with all you need to know about these fascinating minerals - cut and uncut stones, organic gemstones, and precious metals. Inside you'll find: - Fast facts for quick reference, including chemical composition, hardness, gravity, lustre, and reflective value - Photo close-ups of key details and highlights of distinguishing features - Illustrations of faceting and shapes popular for each gemstone - A detailed introduction to everything a beginner gemologist needs to know including how gemstones form, the different properties, crystal shapes, faceting, and the history of gems Delve into the one-of-a-kind characteristics, colours, and attributes of more than 130 gemstones with this compact visual guide. For easy classification, each stone's entry includes annotated photographs to highlight distinguishing features and concise details about the attributes of gems. Designed for beginners and experienced collectors alike, this gemology book explores what gemstones are, how they are classified, and how to identify them by their physical and optical properties. It also shows you how they were fashioned and imitated throughout history. Learn the differences between varieties of cut and uncut stones, organic gemstones, and precious metals. It includes a glossary for many more technical and scientific terms and over 800 high-quality photos of gems. It's the ideal gift for any budding gemologist The DK Handbook series is an incredible collection of titles that fascinate curious minds. Other books include Rocks and Minerals, Dinosaurs, and Prehistoric Life, and Stars and Planets.

CRC Practical Handbooks are a series of single-volume bench manuals that feature a synthesis of the most frequently used, basic reference information. These highly abridged versions of existing CRC multi-volume Handbooks contain largely tabular and graphic data. They provide extensive coverage in a scientific discipline and enable quick, convenient access to the most practical reference information...on the spot! Leading professionals in their respective fields collaborated to provide individuals and institutions with an economical and easy-to-use source of classic reference information. The CRC Practical Handbook of PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of ROCKS and MINERALS, prepared by leaders in their specialties, has been constructed to serve as a convenient, compact, yet comprehensive source of basic information. The technical data have been compiled and selectively edited to provide an organized and definitive presentation of the physical properties of rocks and their constituent minerals. The format is primarily tabular and graphical, for easy reference and comparisons. There is also instructive textual material to present, explain, and clarify the data. This edited and abridged version of the CRC Handbook of Physical Properties of Rocks, published in three volumes in 1982 - 1984, will serve as an easy-to-use source of current and useful reference information.

First published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The book provides a wide introduction on history, minerology, geology, and the characteristics and application of different natural nanotubes. It is the first comprehensive book to discuss natural nanotubes, particularly halloysite nanotubes. The book will be useful mainly for postgraduate students and researchers working on the application of natural nanotubes. It will also be useful for those companies or researchers that focus on the design of materials and composites for sustainability. This book: * Provides updates on the diverse and expanding applications of natural mineral nanotubes (including halloysite, sepiolite, and palygorskite) in various industries, and polymer nanocomposites for medical, health, and environmental applications * Provides a comprehensive review of the modification and intercalation of different natural mineral nanotubes * Reviews recent studies of the mechanical properties of halloysite nanotubes * Provides an up-to-date background on the structure, identification, and nomenclature of various natural mineral nanotubes, including halloysite, palygorskite, sepiolite, chrysotile, and erionite * Gives comprehensive global information on the mineralogy, geology, and occurrence of natural mineral nanotubes * Discusses the current understanding of the health risks of natural mineral nanotubes

Explore the fascinating history and contemporary influence of turquoise as a gemstone of choice for collectors, artists, and jewelry wearers. Immerse yourself in its history from ancient times to the present, and the influence of Native American artists in making this gemstone an enduring part of popular culture in America. Illustrated with over 500 color images, this updated second edition includes nearly 150 photos never seen before. It shows turquoise from Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, plus Australia, China, and Iran, and the major localities in between. The gems appear in their natural state, cut, polished, and set into silver and gold jewelry. Extensive text details the gems' values and the many mines that have relinquished turquoise over thousands of years.

Discover the common treatments and imitations plus gemstone properties, sources and typical cuts of stones, including a guide on appraisal techniques.

Jewellers and designer goldsmiths, lapidaries and gem cutters, stone setters, gemologists, geologists, collectors and people who buy and sell jewellery at antique fairs and on the internet, this book is for anyone who has ever had a gemstone and wanted identification and information. Featuring a mix of gemstones and gem-set jewellery, it puts gems in context and contains historical context for those buying and selling antique and vintage gem-set jewellery, including details of the stones typically found in Georgian, Victorian, early 20th century settings.

Packed with fascinating gemological details and up-to-minute data on more than 70 of the most exquisite gemstones, and written by leading expert, Judith Crowe, learn the common pitfalls in identifying stones and clarify areas of confusion and misidentification.

The evolution of geological cartography in Cuba in its more than 135 years of history has been possible through the consultation of numerous archival reports, publications, maps and personal interviews with different authors and geologists of vast experience. A brief critical analysis is made of the increase in the degree of geological knowledge of the country since the elaboration of the Geological Sketch of the Cuban Island at a scale of 1: 2 000 000 (Fernandez de Castro, 1883), first of Cuba and of Ibero-America, until the most recent Digital Geological Map of Cuba at scale 1: 100 000 (Perez Aragon, 2016). Cuba and its surroundings are a geological mosaic in the southeast corner of the North American plate with rocks from many different origins, from Proterozoic to Quaternary, extended along the southern border of the plate. From the Eocene, this belt has been dissected by several great faults, related to the development of some great oceanic depressions (Cayman trough and Yucatan basin). The fossil record of Cuba, which covers approximately the last 200 million years of life on Earth, is rich in very varied fossils, witnessing a wide diversity of organisms, both animals and plants, that inhabited the Antillean and Caribbean region; and that constitute the inheritance of the biological diversity that the current Cuban archipelago exhibits. As a result of the preparation of the Cuban Metallogenic Map at scale 1: 250 000, forty-one models and eight sub-models of metallic mineral deposits were identified. These models, of descriptive-genetic type, together with the analysis of their spatial distribution and their relationship with geology, allowed the identification and mapping of ten mineral systems, linked to the geodynamic environments present in the Cuban territory. Cuba has large deposits of limestone, loam, dolomite, kaolin, gypsum and anhydrite, rock salt, marbles, sands and clays of different types, zeolites, peat, therapeutic peloids and many more. There are manifestations of decorative and precious rocks such as jasper, jadeite, different varieties of quartz and even xylopals. A compilation of geochemical data of oceanic basalt samples from previous works, together with data of analyzed samples during this study in order to discuss geochemical criteria based on immobile element (proxies for fractionation indices, alkalinity, mantle flow and subduction addition), provide a comprehensive ophiolite classification according to their tectonic setting. This book addresses different facets of the geological knowledge of Cuba: history of its cartography, marine geology, fossil record, stratigraphy, tectonics, classification of its ophiolites, quaternary deposits, metallogeny and minerageny.

This is the first book to specifically address the preservation of an increasingly important group of materials. Techniques for processing minerals and rocks in the field and laboratory are outlined as well as the effects of treatments on specimens. Readership: Professional museum staff, curators and conservators, scientists and technicians; Students of mineralogy, private collectors.

This first comprehensive overview of the modern aspects of biomineralization represents life and materials science at its best: Bioinspired pathways are the hot topics in many disciplines and this holds especially true for biomineralization.
Here, the editors - well-known members of associations and prestigious institutes - have assembled an international team of renowned authors to provide first-hand research results.
This third volume deals with biomineralization in medicine, paying closer attention to bones, teeth and pathological calcifications.
An interdisciplinary must-have account, for biochemists, bioinorganic chemists, lecturers in chemistry and biochemistry, materials scientists, biologists, and solid state physicists.

The sharp rise in mineral use has revived concern about scarcity. Economist John Tilton responds by analyzing recent trends in the consumption and availability of minerals that are most integral to the needs of modern civilization. He reminds readers that, if the arguments about scarcity sound familiar, it is because the story of minerals scarcity is almost as old as human history -- and so too is substitution and technological innovation. The issue at hand is the unprecedented acceleration in exploitation and use. Given global population growth, rising living standards, and environmental concerns, how seriously should today's society take the threat of mineral exhaustion?

On Borrowed Time? provides general interest and student readers with an accessible framework for understanding scarcity. Tilton defines important concepts and explores the methods used to study mineral scarcity, including physical measures of known reserves and the total resource base, and economic measures, such as extraction and end-user costs. He notes the increasing emphasis on the social and environmental costs of mineral production and use, placing the scarcity debate in context of broader concerns about sustainability and equity. He adds a history of thought about scarcity, from Malthus and Ricardo to Harold Hotelling, Donella Meadows, and present-day writers.

Papers cover: laboratory and in-situ testing; coupled effects and permeability; creep damage and dilatancy; constitutive modelling; crushed salt behaviour; numerical modelling; storage and disposal projects; mining applications; case studies; and salt pillars and cavities.

This collection of papers covers many topics in the area of mineral processing, such as: physical enrichment processing; fine particle processing; flotation fundamentals and technology; industrial minerals processing; and waste treatment and utilization.

The last two decades have brought a near exponential increase in the amount known about mineral surfaces. Get a handle on this overwhelming mountain of information with The Physics and Chemistry of Mineral Surfaces. This much-needed text will save you hours of tedious journal searches by providing an excellent condensation and overview of the entire field, including its future direction. Top researchers outline atomistic controls on mineral surface structure and reactions; apply these concepts to explain sorption, mineral corrosion and growth; and ultimately consider the role of surfaces in environmental and geochemical processes. This unique text provides a rich and rigorous treatment of these subjects by combining surface physics and chemistry - highlighting their useful, yet often ignored, complementary nature. Unlike other texts, The Physics and Chemistry of Mineral Surfaces also stresses the linkage between fundamentals of mineral surface science and specific real-world problems. This connection facilitates the application of surface physics and chemistry to macroscopic, global processes, such as the origins of life, global warming, and environment degradation. Nowhere else will you find a text on this topic that combines expansive coverage with clear-cut practical applications. Don't miss out! The Physics and Chemistry of Mineral Surfaces has it all.