School Of Science And HealthChemical MineralogyWestern Sydney University Unit Code: 300611.3
Discipline: EARTH SCIENCES
Student Contribution Band: 2
Level: 2
Credit Points: 10
Assumed Knowledge
Basic arithmetic and algebraic skills.
Equivalent Units
14509.1 - Chemical Mineralogy
Prerequisite
300224 Chemistry 1 OR 300554 Principles of Chemistry AND 300225 Chemistry 2
About this Unit
This unit is replaced by 300846 - Geochemical Systems from 2013. This unit focuses on the chemical composition of minerals in order to identify, classify and characterize them, as well as a means to find beneficial uses from them. It covers the composition, structure and formation of selected examples from the silicate and non-silicate mineral groups. It deals with the structures of minerals and their determination, interpretation of structural data in the literature, aspects of solid solution, the forces which stabilize mineral lattices and the grouping of various minerals in terms of their chemical and structural characteristics. The chemistry of mineral formation at high and low temperatures will be examined. Modern analytical methods (XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS, EPMA and classical) used in the study of minerals and their identification and characterization are explored.