Minerals that occur in mine waste are the subject of research conducted by Ron Peterson and his students.
The properties and behavior of these complex minerals is investigated by a wide variety of experimental
techniques and field observations. Minerals are collected from mine sites around the world and laboratory
experiments synthesize minerals under controlled conditions to mimic the conditions that exist in these
mine wastes. X-ray and neutron diffraction studies investigate the details of the atomic structures of
these materials. Diffraction experiments of materials under controlled temperatures and humidity give
insight into relative stabilities and reaction mechanisms for these complex minerals. Scanning Electron
Microscopy with energy dispersive and wavelength dispersive analysis is used to explore the morphology
and chemical composition of "natural" and synthetic minerals.
There are a many possible projects available which could form the basis of
either an M.Sc. or Ph.D. Please contact Dr. Peterson directly if you would like to discuss
possible projects.
