Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Environmental Materials and Their Industrial Utilization

1. Theory and Characteristics of the Mössbauer Effect.- Theory of the Mössbauer Effect.- Magnetism.- Hyperfine Interactions.- Relaxation Effects.- Line Intensities.- Diffusional Broadening.- Mössbauer Spectroscopy in Mineralogy and Minerals Processing.- Summary.- 2. Mössbauer Instrumentation.- General Considerations.- Source and Reference Absorber.- Conventional Spectrometers.- Other Spectrometers.- Sample Environment.- Sample preparation.- Summary.- 3. Data Analysis and Interpretation.- Fitting using Simple Lorentzians.- Tests of Goodness of Fit.- Convolution and Deconvolution.- Thickness Effects and Recoilless Fraction.- Fitting of Thickness Broadened Lines.- Fitting of Lines Broadened by a Hyperfine Parameter Distribution.- Magnetic Relaxation and Superparamagnetism.- The Non-Uniqueness problem.- Problems in Fitting and Interpretation.- Presentation of Results.- Summary.- 4. Bulk and Clay-Sized Phyllosilicates.- 1:1 Minerals: Kaolinite.- 2:1 Minerals: Illite.- Montmorillonite.- Nontronite.- Summary.- 5. Iron Oxides and Oxyhydroxides.- Anhydrous Oxides: Hematite.- Magnetite.- Maghemite.- Oxyhydroxides: Goethite.- Ferrihydrite.- Summary.- 6. Sediments.- Terrestrial Sediments.- Freshwater Sediments.- Marine Sediments.- Airborne Particles.- Summary.- 7. Soils and Clays.- Soils.- Clays.- Summary.- 8. Weathering.- Silicate Weathering.- Sulfide Weathering and Acid Mine Drainage.- Summary.- 9. Metastable Materials.- Green Rusts.- Fine-Particle Magnetite.- Anoxic Sediments.- Fe2+ Sulfates Produced by Acid Mine Drainage.- Summary.- 10. Coal.- Coal Characterization.- Heat and Chemical Treatment.- Hydroliquefaction.- Summary.- 11. Clay Firing.- Individual Minerals: Kaolinite.- Illite.- Montmorillonite.- Nontronite.- Samples of Complex Mineralogy.- Summary.- 12. Mineralprocessing.- Iron Ores.- Titanium Ores.- Other Processing Operations Involving Iron.- Gold.- Summary.- References.

From the reviews:

What is the niche for Mössbauer spectroscopy in the study of minerals and their products? Why is it currently under-utilized in areas such as mineral processing? These two questions, put by the authors in the introduction of the book, serve as a guiding line through all 12 chapters. The authors are well known researchers in the Mössbauer community.... The Data Analysis and Interpretation chapter is highly recommended reading for all Mössbauer spectroscopists working in any application area. The problems of ambiguity of spectra interpretation are usually under-addressed in publications.... Backed up by 966 references, 37 book references, 19 major review references, and 14 major conference proceedings, the book is also a valuable source of reference information.

From Mössbauer Spectroscopy Newsletter, June 2005 (Volume 28, Number 6)

"This book is devoted to ... the technique and practice of Mössbauer spectroscopy, and these alone make the book worth buying. For anyone wishing for an in-depth discussion of this technique ... this book will be invaluable. ... The applications presented are useful ... . This book will be most useful to mineralogists (and their students) ... . The background presented here will provide an excellent jumping-off point for further explorations into the many different applications of this technique." (M. Darby Dyar, American Mineralogist, Vol. 93, 2008)