The formation and deposition of mineral scales, such as barium sulphate (BaSO 4 ) calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), is a common problem in many industrial life science processes. This caused by chemical incompatibility due either to the mixing incompatible aqueous solutions or changes physical conditions, usually temperature pressure. Many laboratory studies have been conducted using techniques broa...

Here we report the atomic-scale analysis of biological interfaces within the ferritin protein using atom probe tomography that is facilitated by an advanced specimen preparation approach. Embedding ferritin in an organic polymer resin lacking nitrogen provided chemical contrast to visualise atomic distributions and distinguish the inorganic-organic interface of the ferrihydrite mineral core and...

Sea urchin larvae have an endoskeleton consisting of two calcitic spicules. We reconstructed various stages of the formation pathway of calcium carbonate from calcium ions in sea water to mineral deposition and integration into the forming spicules. Monitoring calcium uptake with the fluorescent dye calcein shows that calcium ions first penetrate the embryo and later are deposited intracellular...

Surface crystallization of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) on a series of polymeric surfaces was studied using a quartz microbalance system. Polyelectrolyte multilayer films (positively and negatively charged surfaces) were formed on the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors utilizing a layer-by-layer spin-assembly method. The kinetics of gypsum surface crystallization was quantified in ...

Colloidal silica (SiO2) is perhaps the most undesirable inorganic deposit formed in process industrial waters, either in bulk or on surfaces, such as membrane heat exchangers or pipelines. Conventional mineral scale inhibitors do not inhibit its formation. Chemical cleaning is difficult and not free from hazards. Research on silica scale formation and prevention is on-going and has led to vario...

Chicken eggshell is a biomineral composed of 95% calcite calcium carbonate mineral and of 3.5% organic matrix proteins. The assembly of mineral and its structural organization is controlled by its organic matrix. In a recent study [1], we have used quantitative proteomic, bioinformatic and functional analyses to explore the distribution of 216 eggshell matrix proteins at four key stages of shel...

Deposited mineral dust and black carbon are known to reduce the albedo of snow and enhance melt. Here we estimate the contribution of anthropogenic black carbon (BC) to snowmelt in glacier accumulation zones of Central Asia based on in-situ measurements and modelling. Source apportionment suggests that more than 94% of the BC is emitted from mostly regional anthropogenic sources while the remai...

In light of the success of 3D printing using fused-deposition modeling or higher-resolution variants with lasers applicable to polymers and metals, one may wonder whether an analogous approach exists on the nanometer scale. Indeed it does. With the aid of focused particle beam-induced deposition (FPBID) it is possible to create solid-state structures on the nanoscale. However, in contrast with ...

Forty-six Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse yearlings were used in two experiments to evaluate the effect of mineral supplementation on growth and skeletal development. In the first experiment, concentrate and bermudagrass hay diets providing 2.82 Mcal DE/kg (estimated), 13.0% CP, .62% Ca and .43% P on a DM basis were supplemented with trace minerals (TM) by adding 0, .5 or 1.0% TM premix to the c...