T30. The science of clays and zeolites: from genesis to sustainable applications

Clay and zeolites minerals can contribute to achieve the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal, representing a clear response to global challenges related to broad fields of applications for industry, environment, hydrogeological risk and more. These minerals are of great interest for geosciences. Clays are the most diffuse sediments on the Earth crust, and they have a fundamental role in understanding paleoclimate, sedimentary environments, and diagenetic processes. Moreover, as zeolites, they represent a useful tool providing information on hydrothermal system and very low grade metamorphism. Thanks to their extreme sensitivity, clays and zeolites find application in high-value technological uses by exploiting ion exchange and selective adsorption of organic molecules such as the sequestration of undesirable substances (included that of emerging concern) from aqueous, solid, and gaseous phases. Furthermore, they represent important sources of raw materials in several industrial productions as ceramic and construction materials.
This session is open to studies highlighting the important contribution of these minerals in geoscience, their crystal chemistry and genesis, as well as their applications in wastewater treatment, environmental remediation and soil reclamation, landslides studies, hydrogeological risk, in the production of ceramic and more.