Geology for Renewable and Sustainable Energy – Virtual Conference 26/11/20

Join us for a 3 hour virtual conference on Thursday 26th November 2020 at 10:30am GMT / 11:30 CET about scientific techniques for geology in the growing field of green, renewable energy.

  • Overview of the varied scientific techniques available in this field.
  • See what insights they can offer.
  • Educative conference with presentations from academics, supported by talks from factory scientists specialising in each technique.

Missed the event or want to watch it again? A recording is available to watch on-demand – fill in our quick online form to get access:

Blue Scientific provides market-leading scientific instruments in the UK and Nordic region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland). For more information or quotes, contact us on +44 (0)1223 422 269 or info@blue-scientific.com


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Geology Conference Feedback

Geology in the Field of Sustainable Energy

Clean energy and sustainability are growing research areas fuelling rapid developments in renewable energy. With increased interest in this area, for example in rechargeable battery development and the increased need for energy storage and green minerals, it’s an increasingly relevant topic in geology and geoscience, with great potential for researchers.

A wide variety of scientific techniques are available to geoscientists for this research. To provide an overview of the insights they can offer, BlueScientific are holding a 3 hour virtual conference on Thursday 26th November 2020.

  • Quick taster of a range of scientific techniques.
  • See example data and how each is relevant to geology.
  • Presentations from geoscientists about their work.
  • Overviews from specialists about each technique.

The aim of the event is to increase awareness of the various techniques available for geoscience research in renewable energy.

Programme

The virtual conference will feature a programme of quick 10 minute talks, each followed by a live question and answer session.

Alan Butcher

Alan Butcher

Professor of Geomaterials and Applied Mineralogy at GTK (Geological Survey of Finland)

Geometallurgy of Battery Minerals: A Multi-Scale, Multi-Modal, Multi-Dimensional and Multi-Skilled Approach

Alan Butcher is both a generalist and a specialist geologist, with a keen interest in rocks of commercial importance. Over the years he has followed topical trends in geoscience including the origins of layered igneous intrusions in the 1980s and the development of Automated Mineralogy in the 1990s-2000s. He is now leading research into the geometallurgy of battery minerals using a multi-scale, multi-modal, multi-dimensional and multi-skilled approach.

Tim Batten, Renishaw

Tim Batten

Spectroscopy Platform Product Manager, Renishaw

From Rock Cores to Lithium Ion Batteries – Latest Raman Applications for Renewables

Tim has been an ardent fan of Raman spectroscopy since using an ancient Renishaw RM system to examine crud on aircraft blades for a masters project >15 years ago. Since then he gained a PhD in Raman thermography of semiconductors, before working in the applications team at Renishaw where he explored a plethora of different applications and helped develop a range of combined Raman systems. His personal research interests (when time allows) lie in material science, semiconductor physics, 2D materials and Raman instrumentation. Tim is currently working to promote the Virsa Raman analyser, a transportable instrument with the same performance as lab-based systems.

Akseli Torppa

Akseli Torppa

Researcher, Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)

Application of Raman to the Characterisation of Green Energy Minerals

Akseli is an experienced earth scientist, skilled in Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Precambrian Geology, Construction Stones and Industrial Minerals, as well as Isotope Research. He is an R&D professional with an M.Sc. in Applied Geology and Mineralogy from University of Helsinki.

Kai Behrens

Kai Behrens

Head of XRF Product Management, Bruker

Green Power Thanks to Functional High Purity Materials – Analysed by the Latest XRF Technology

Kai will present an overview of bulk XRF, X-ray technologies and their applications for a green future. He studied Analytical Chemistry at the University of Hamburg and received his Doctor title in 2002 based on his research “Monitoring of the heavy metal pollution in the European River Odra based on a newly developed direct analysis procedure of ETV-ICP-MS”. This new procedure was validated with XRF, TXRF, GF-AAS and NAA. He worked for TÜV Nord in the environmental lab, and was Research Assistant in the “International Odra Project”, organising sampling campaigns of water, SPM and sediment samples with more than 11 universities and institutes. Kai joined Bruker AXS in 2001 in XRF Method Development, and is now Head of XRF Product Management.

Steffen Berg

Steffen Berg

Principal Science Expert, Shell Global Solutions B.V.

Micro-CT Imaging of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media – From Rocks to Fuel Cells

Steffen’s main research interests range from the fundamental aspects of multiphase flow in porous media to CO2 sequestration aspects of multiphase flow beyond subsurface. He holds a master’s degree in materials science from the University of the Saarland and a PhD in physics from the University of Mainz / Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research at Mainz, Germany. After a postdoc at Princeton University he joined Shell as a research scientist. He is currently also a visiting reader in the Earth Science & Engineering and Chemical Engineering departments at Imperial College London.

Wilhelm Nikonow

Geoscientist, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)

µ-XRF and LIBS Mapping of Plutonic Rocks for Localization of Lithium Enrichment

Recent developments of methods in the geoscientific field have made it possible to obtain 2D information from large samples in a short amount of time. These methods provide valuable information from a large quantity of samples within a short time period, opening up a new opportunities for detailed analysis of complex processes in geosciences and ore exploration.

Andrew Menzies

Andrew Menzies

Senior Applications Scientist: Geology and Mining, Bruker Nano

Looking to the Future by Studying our Past: The Search for Cobalt – Analysis of Historic Samples from Closed or Inactive Mines by Micro-XRF

Andrew holds a Doctorate of Geochemistry from University of Cape Town, a Bachelors of Commerce from University of Auckland and is a certified professional with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). He has over 20 years professional experience as a geologist in numerous projects around the world from grassroots exploration, follow-up reconnaissance exploration, target evaluation and laboratory analysis, to consulting and project management. He is currently working for Bruker Nano GmbH after almost 10 years as a Geochemisty Professor at Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile). He is an active member in numerous geological societies. His current research interests include ore deposit mineralogy, mantle geochemistry and the origin of diamonds, automated mineralogical analysis and applications using both SEM and micro-XRF.

Christina Drathen, Bruker

Christina Drathen

XRD Product Manager, Bruker AXS

XRD Applications from Mining to In-operando Electrochemistry

Christna’s focus at Bruker AXS is on non-ambient XRD and energy materials research. Her expertise is in powder diffraction. She joined Bruker in 2016 as an applications scientist, following a 3year post-doc at ID31, the the new home of the high resolution powder diffraction beamline (previously ID31) at ESRF, The European Synchrotron. She has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh.

Francois Horreard, CAMECA

François Horreard

NanoSIMS Product Manager, CAMECA

NanoSIMS in Geology: From Mining Applications to Support for Li Batteries Development

François has been involved in surface science techniques, XPS, Auger, Secondary Ion Mass spectrometry, NanoSIMS and 3D Atom Probe for more than 30 years.

He will illustrate some of the unique nanoSIMS capabilities for geology, combining trace element sensitivity and isotopic ratio mapping with 50 nm lateral resolution. Examples range from mapping invisible gold distribution in pyrites, mapping radio-isotopes in minerals; dating rock (U/Pb) with 5-10µm lateral resolution and quantifying water in rocks, to mapping lithium in Li battery cathode development.

Dirk Schaumlöffel¹, Maria Angels Subirana¹, Anthony Chappaz²

1) CNRS/Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, France;
2) Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Central Michigan University, USA

Presented by Dirk Schaumlöffel

NanoSIMS: Principle, Challenges and its Potential in Various Application Fields

The presentation will include examples from the NanoSIMS at UPPA’s Institute of Interdisciplinary Research on Environment and Materials (IPREM), where SIMS is used to analyse materials at sub-micrometer scale and produce elemental and isotopic images in 2D and 3D.

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Watch a recording of the Event

If you missed this event or want to watch it again, a recording is available. Fill in our quick online form to get access:

If you’d like to know more about any of the techniques discussed, please get in touch.


Discover the Latest Techniques

See examples of the unique insights provided by these techniques:

Micro-XRF HyperMap

Micro-XRF

  • Non-destructive multi-element mapping and mineral analysis.
  • Study element distribution.
  • Identify and analyse single grains.
  • Perform line scans.

More about micro-XRF in geology…


SIMS in Geochronology

NanoSIMS

  • The most sensitive elemental and isotopic surface microanalysis technique.
  • Analyse bulk composition and in-depth distribution of trace elements.
  • Extremely high sensitivity to all elements from Hydrogen to Uranium and above.
  • Microanalysis helps locate the best mining locations for maximum return on investment.

How SIMS is used in geology…


Measuring pore network thickness

Micro-CT

  • Non-destructive 3D internal imaging down to sub-micron resolution.
  • Study porosity, micro-structure, composition and more.
  • 3D mineral distribution and morphometry, including grains and sedimentary patterns.

More about micro-CT in geology…


Raman Mapping - Igneous Rock
Polished igneous rock section showing mineral species over a large area (6 x 5 mm)

Raman

  • Fast, unambiguous mineral identification.
  • Data about composition, stress/strain, crystal quality and orientation.
  • Combine with SEM for structural and chemical analysis.

More about Raman in geology…

Case study: How GTK used Raman to study graphite in battery development…


Iron Ore Analysis

XRF

  • Quantitative elemental analysis.
  • Measure specific elements and/or identify unknowns.
  • Highly accurate and precise.

Example: Iron ore grade control with XRF

Example: Analysing elemental distribution in rocks with XRF


XRD

XRD

  • Wide area, bulk scanning and small spots.
  • Qualitative and quantitative mineralogy.
  • Analyse native state samples with microdiffraction.

More about XRD in geology…


More Information

If you have any questions about the virtual conference or any of these scientific techniques and how they can be used, please get in touch:

 Contact us on +44 (0)1223 422 269 or info@blue-scientific.com

 Articles about Geology