Lamellar Mass Research Articles

Use of Post-Flotation Solidified Tailings from Copper Production for Ceramic Tile Production

The development of the mining industry has resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of waste, which effectively degrades the environment. The aim of this study is to check whether the addition of post-flotation sludge from copper production to the typical ceramic mass of the "gress porcelanato" will allow to obtain qualified sintered or faience tiles. By adding successive amounts of post-flotation sludge to the high-quality lamellar mass, typical parameters such as firing shrinkage, water absorbability and bending strength after firing were assessed. The structure of the obtained ceramic materials, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM with EDS), was also determined. Obtaining positive results would allow not only to significantly reduce the production costs of ceramic tiles, because the sludge is finely divided and no grinding is necessary, but, above all, will allow to eliminate the environmental risk. The present study has shown that it is possible to introduce up to 20% post-flotation sludge for gres porcellanato tile production and up to 50% post-flotation slugde for faience tile production. Both types of ceramic materials with an appropriate proportion of sludge, meet the requirements of tile standards in terms of mechanical strength and water absorption.

Multi-scale 3D characterisation of porosity and organic matter in shales with variable TOC content and thermal maturity: Examples from the Lublin and Baltic Basins, Poland and Lithuania

Understanding the distribution of pores and organic matter with varying organic matter concentrations and maturity is essential to understanding fluid flow in shale systems. Analysis of samples with low, medium, and high total organic carbon (TOC) and varying maturities (gas-mature and oil-mature) enables the impact of both organic matter concentrations and thermal maturation on organic matter porosity to be examined. Three gas-mature samples of varying TOC (Lublin Basin) and one oil-mature sample (Baltic Basin), both with similar mineral compositions, were selected from the same formation. Samples were imaged in 3D over four orders of magnitudes (pixel sizes from 44μm to 5nm). A combination of X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and Focus Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) enabled the morphologic and topological characteristics of minerals, organic matter and pores to be imaged and quantified.In the studied samples, organic matter primarily has two geometries: lamellar masses (length: 1–100μm, thickness: 0.5–2.0μm) and discrete spheroidal particles (0.5–20.0μm). Organic matter forms an inter-connected network where it exceeds a concentration between 6 and 18wt%.Different pore types have different diameters and total pore volumes: inter-mineral pores (0.2μm, 10–94%), organic interface pores (0.2μm, 2–77%), intra-organic pores (0.05μm, 1–40%) and intra-mineral pores (0.05μm diameter, 1–2% of total porosity). The major pore system in the studied shales is composed of inter-mineral pores which occur between clay mineral grains. TOC concentration influences the total volume of organic matter-related pores while maturity controls the presence of intra-organic pores. The study improves the understanding of the relationship of organic matter concentrations, maturity and pore systems in shales. This study characterises porosity and organic matter distributions in 3D; it also improves the understanding of the relationship of organic matter concentrations, maturity and pore systems in shales.

Retraction Note: Clinico-histopathologic and outcome features of cutaneous infundibular keratinizing acanthoma: a case report and literature review.

The infundibular keratinizing acanthoma (IKA) is a rare epithelial benign keratin-containing neoplasm of hair follicles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the defining histopathologic architecture of IKA. A typical IKA consisted of a keratin-filled crypt in the dermis and subcutis that opened to the skin surface. Most of this tumor occurred on the back, neck, head, and the shoulders. Microscopically, the dermal nodules were focally contiguous in both the dermis and subcutis. Furthermore, most histological lesions are consistent with a simple or multiloculated cyst filled with keratin and lined by a wall of stratified squamous epithelium; keratin appears as a concentric lamellar mass, with a keratotic pearly aspect. Histological examination of the cutaneous lesions revealed that the growths were comprised of IKA. IKA of man and dog were compared, and it was concluded that although they are similar in many respects, they are not identical entities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the prevalence of IKAs among the population of owned dogs in Iran.

Detection Method for the Internal Defect of the Part Based on the Lever Balance Principle

Abstract: A detection method for the internal defect of the part based on the lever balance principle was presented; the defect method realized indirectly the nondestructive measurement through the relation of the volume and mass of the part’s internal pore or crack and the force change in the lever balanced system. On the basis of the relation of the part’s weight and the balances of the forces and the moments, the forces of the different position was measured in the lever balanced system after the part moved the minute distance through the fulcrum according to a certain directions. It calculated the every lamellar mass of the part and the coordinate values of the corresponding lamellar. Combined the equations of every lamellar masses and the equations of the center of gravity, and established the database of the every lamellar masses, it can realize the non-destructive detection for the internal defect of the part by computer. The measure principles, the mathematical theory basis and the detection method for the part’s internal pore or crack were introduced in details about the detection method based on the lever balance principle. The detection method can be operated simply and feasible and credible.

Vibrational spectroscopic characterization of the phosphate mineral bermanite–[formula omitted

Bermanite Mn2+Mn23+(PO4)2(OH)2·4(H2O) is a mixed valent hydrated hydroxy phosphate mineral. The mineral is reddish-brown and occurs in crystal aggregates and as lamellar masses. Bermanite is a common mineral in granitic pegmatites. The chemical composition of bermanite was obtained using EDS techniques. We have studied the molecular structure of bermanite using vibrational spectroscopy. The mineral is characterized by a Raman doublet at 991 and 999cm−1 attributed to the phosphate stretching mode of two non-equivalent phosphate units. Raman bands at 1071, 1117 and 1142cm−1 are assigned to the phosphate antisymmetric stretching modes. The hydroxyl stretching spectral region is complex with overlapping bands attributed to water and hydroxyl stretching vibrations. Vibrational spectroscopy proves most useful for the study of the mineral bermanite.

The nature of porosity in organic-rich mudstones of the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation, North Sea, offshore United Kingdom

Abstract Analyses of organic-rich mudstones from wells that penetrated the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation, offshore United Kingdom, were performed to evaluate the nature of both organic and inorganic rock constituents and their relation to porosity in this world-class source rock. The formation is at varying levels of thermal maturity, ranging from immature in the shallowest core samples to mature in the deepest core samples. The intent of this study was to evaluate porosity as a function of both organic macerals and thermal maturity. At least four distinct types of organic macerals were observed in petrographic and SEM analyses and they all were present across the study area. The macerals include, in decreasing abundance: 1) bituminite admixed with clays; 2) elongate lamellar masses (alginite or bituminite) with small quartz, feldspar, and clay entrained within it; 3) terrestrial (vitrinite, fusinite, semifusinite) grains; and 4) Tasmanites microfossils. Although pores in all maceral types were observed on ion-milled surfaces of all samples, the pores (largely nanopores with some micropores) vary as a function of maceral type. Importantly, pores in the macerals do not vary systematically as a function of thermal maturity, insofar as organic pores are of similar size and shape in both the immature and mature Kimmeridge rocks. If any organic pores developed during the generation of hydrocarbons, they were apparently not preserved, possibly because of the highly ductile nature of much of the rock constituents of Kimmeridge mudstones (clays and organic material). Inorganic pores (largely micropores with some nanopores) have been observed in all Kimmeridge mudstones. These pores, particularly interparticle (i.e., between clay platelets), and intraparticle (i.e., in framboidal pyrite, in partially dissolved detrital K-feldspar, and in both detrital and authigenic dolomite) are noteworthy because they compose much of the observable porosity in the shales in both immature and mature samples. The absence of a systematic increase in organic porosity as a function of either maceral type or thermal maturity indicates that such porosity was probably unrelated to hydrocarbon generation. Instead, much of the porosity within mudstones of the Kimmeridge appears to be largely intraparticle and interparticle (adjacent to inorganic constituents), so the petroleum storage potential in these organic-rich mudstones largely resides in inorganic pores.

The functional morphology of caudal lamellae in coenagrionid (Odonata:Zygoptera) damselfly larvae

During their later instars, coenagrionid damselfly larvae reduce their relative investment in lamellae. Caudal lamellae play a role in swimming by allowing a larva to take advantage of its body size when at least one lamella is present, and this benefit increases with larval size. The removal of the first and/or second lamella generally results in a fixed and measurable decrease in swimming speed. When all lamellae are removed, larvae suffer a dramatic reduction in swimming speed. Ischnura posita(Hagen) and Enallagma civile(Hagen) always swim faster than equal sized Telebasis salva(Hagen) and Argia translata(Hagen) when at least one lamella is present. The swimming speed of the three lentic forms I. posita, E. civile,and T. salvais more affected by lamella loss than the lotic form A. translata.These last three relationships do not change ontogenetically. Caudal lamellae surface area does not increase as fast ontogenetically as would be expected for a gas exchange organ. The breaking joints, which hold the lamellae to the body, do not grow isometrically with body size, but do grow isometrically with lamellar mass. This suggests that the lamellae may be retained in proportion to investment (mass).

Further ultrastructural observations on the alveolar epithelium of the newborn rat

Abstract Typical osmiophilic lamellated bodies of the type II alveolar pneumonocyte of the neonate rat contain parallel, straight lamellae. They often enclose membrane-bounded regions of cytoplasm resembling the sequestered areas in autolysosomes. In other lamellated bodies, the lamellae are less electron dense and are arranged in concentric circles. The concentrically ordered lamellae are eliminated into the alveolar cavity. The osmiophilic lamellated bodies are interpreted as advanced lysosomes. Mitochondria of the type II alveolar cell are often indented by lamellar masses. Mitochondria enclosing lamellae or dense masses persist for a time after the type I alveolar cell morphology has been attained. Lamellar masses in mitochondria are believed to be related to lysosomal activity in the surrounding cytoplasm, and examples of such inclusions in mitochrondria of other tissues are cited. An alveolar cell mitochondrion indented by lamellated material may continue to operate, the mitochondrion proper and the pocket of lysosome-derived lamellae combining as a functional unit.