Raw Materials and Industry

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
48
Overall hours
SSD
GEO/09
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
The course aims to provide students basic knowledge on supplying of mineral raw materials and specifically: basics of economy and trade of mineral commodities, mineral prospection, resources and reserves evaluation, exploitation, beneficiation and environmental hazard. Students will acquire also specific knowledge on the main Industrial Minerals.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The students will be able to understand dynamics of mineral trade and economics and to apply them to mining strategies of companies, they will be able to plan exploitation and beneficiation methods according to different characteristics of mineral deposits, they will be able to understand and evaluate resources and reserves key reports. They will be able to apply their knowledge on industrial minerals to their research and exploitation and will be able to evaluate the main environmental hazards related to mineral exploitation. Students will be also able to compute parameters for meeting quality standards of mineral commodities.
Expected learning outcomes
Making judgements
Students will be able to formulate hypotheses on main economic trends in mineral commoditiy markets and to autonomously evaluate commercial parameters of raw minerals, particularly of industrial minerals. Students will be able to address in the field to al the components of exploitation and beneficiation plants and to evaluate technologies used.
Communication skills
Students will develop language technical and specific language skills that will aloow him/her to interact with all porfessional experts in the field of mineral exploitation: workers, technicians mining engineers, economicists and so on.
Learning skills The course provides basis for widening and deepening knowledge and competences in the mineral exploitation industry, that can be applied to specific sectors.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Definition and classification of georesources
Introduction to economy of georesources with examples
Quarries and mines
Lifecycle of a mine
Strategies in mining industry
The role of geologists in mining industry
Mineral exploration
Evaluation of resources and reserves
Separation methods
Exploitation methods
Introduction to metallic mineral deposits
Different types of mineral deposits: magmatic, sedimentary, residual, hydrothermal, with examples
Generalities on Industrial Minerals
Details on specific industrial minerals suche as: feldspar, caolin, barite, fluorite, bentonite, ecominerals, halite, sulfur, fluorite, phosphates, pumice, garnet, zircone, olivine, chromite, talc
Introduction to environmental concern of mining activity. Different types of environmental impact, enivronmental management of waste dumps, Acid Mine Drainage, Remediation methodologies.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is strongly interdisciplinary and requires prerequisites related to several course of the first and second year. Specifically essential prerequisites comprise:
Basic knowledge of mineralogy and mineral classification
Basic knowledge of petrography, rock types, and discriminating parameters for rock classification, correlation with geodynamical environments
Basic knowledge of stratigraphy and sedimentology, main depositional environments and processes, different sedimentary rocks
Basic knowledge of Structural geology and tectonics, micr-, meso-, macro scale structures and Plate Tectonics basic principles.
Teaching methods
Frontal lesson with discussion
Simple excercises on industrial applications concerning georesources
Reading, elaboration, evaluation in group or altogether of technical and scientific documents
Reading of thematic maps
Teaching Resources
ppt or pdf from the teacher.
Volume Industrial Minerals and rocks, Kogel et al. Eds, SME.
Volume WL Pohl Economic Geology principles and practice, Wiley-Blackwell
Assessment methods and Criteria
Testing of learning consists of an oral exam with possible use of supporting material such as geographical, geological and metallogenic maps and technical and scientific documents related to the topics of the course.
Evaluation criteria comprise:
Use of correct terminology and specific language
Knowledge of contents provided during lessons and in the additional documentation provided or indicated
Ability to connect and argue on processes, models and interactions
Ability to describe and use additional material used during exams
Ability to build up and elaborate student's arguments
GEO/09 - MINING RESOURCES, MINERALOGIC AND PETROGRAPHIC APPLICATIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor: Grieco Giovanni
Professor(s)