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| MINE0201-2 | Mineralogy and X-ray Crystallography
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| Duration : | 30h Th, 40h Pr, 2d FW |
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| Holder(s) : | André‑Mathieu Fransolet |
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| Language : | French language |
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| Course contents : | Seven chapters constitute the "X-ray Crystallography" part: I. Nature of the X-ray radiation ; II. The structure factor; III. The reciprocal lattice ; IV. The symmetry of the lattice; V. The powder method; VI. Techniques of single-crystal study; VII. The intensity reduction.
The part « Mineralogy » deals with the interpretation of the chemical analyses of minerals (wet chemical procedures or electron microprobe analysis) and the discussion on the crystal chemistry of a few main mineral groups occurring in the rocks (garnets, feldspars, pyroxenes, amphiboles,...). A lesson is devoted to minerals of the Earth mantel. |
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| Course objective : | The course is a logical result of the course taught during the 2nd BAC with the general purpose of a rigourous knowledge of the mineral species. The identification of the mineral species is essentially based on X-ray diffraction. Consequently, the student must be able to master such a tool and to perfectly understand the interaction of the crystals with the X-radiation. Following the border proposed by late Professor J.D.H. Donnay (McGill University) between Mineralogy and Crystallography, the determination of the space group in symmetry is the end of the course and the calculation of the atomic structure is not taught. However, the student properly understands the results of such a determination. At the end of the course, the student is supposed to have a precise idea of the important rock-forming minerals, mainly of their crystal structure, and of their chemical composition. |
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| Prerequisites : | The basic concepts of the geometrical Crystallography, taught in the second Bac in Geological Sciences, must be obviously well known (concept of the crystal lattice, the point symmetry, ¿). The vision in the three dimensions helps for the comprehension of several concepts in Crystallography. As Mineralogy is a natural science, one calls for the sense of observation, and for the ability to properly describe what is seen. |
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| Organization : | The theoretical lectures start on the first week of the semester in the lecture room R62 of the B18 building (Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology). Frequently, two hours of tutorials are organized after two hours of lecture in the afternoon (from 16 up to 18h). Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. |
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| Written notes : | Xerocopies of notes and of corrected exercices are available at the end of the second week of lectures. Other relevant documents are given during tutorials.
Among the numerous reference books available in the Library of Earth Sciences (Building B 6), the following textbooks are particularly recommended:
 X-ray diffraction methods E.W. NUFFIELD, John Wiley & Sons, 1966, 409 p.
 Fundamentals of Crystallography edited by C. GIACOVAZZO, International Union of Crystallography, Oxford Science Publications, 1992, 654 p.
 Silicate Crystal Chemistry Dana T. GRIFFEN, Oxford University Press, 1992, 442 p.
 Principles of Mineral Behaviour A. PUTNIS & J.D.C. McCONNELL, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1980, 257 p. |
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| Assessment : | The examination comprizes two parts: a written interrogation dealing with problems in crystallography and in Mineralogy (mostly chemical analyses); the oral part concerns the theory. Five minerals must be recognized immediately. The duration of this examination is of two days. |
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| Contacts : | Laboratory of Mineralogy - Building B18
Professor A.-M. Fransolet
Call: 04 366 22 06
e-mail: amfransolet@ulg.ac.be
Scientific attendance:
Mélanie RONDEUX, Assistant
Call: 04/366 20 36 - e-mail : m.rondeux@ulg.ac.be |
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