Mineralogy of the built environment
Mineralogy of the built environment
Editor(s): Carlos Rodriguez-Navarro, Gilberto Artioli, Maria Chiara Dalconi, and Kerstin Elert
The study of materials used in the built environment has long attracted significant research efforts, with a continuous growth over the last few decades. Mineralogy has been pivotal in these studies, spanning from the analysis of the different mineral components of both natural stone and earthen structures, and man-made plasters, mortars, cements, and ceramics (bricks), to their weathering and conservation. In this EJM special issue we strive to gather cutting-edge, high-quality research on all the different aspects where mineralogy plays a role in the analysis of the broad variety of materials used in the built environment, both ancient and modern. We seek studies with a focus on one or several of the following aspects:

  • mineralogical analysis of natural and man-made building materials. In particular, studies on the analysis of mineral components of different building materials, as well as the phase evolution in cementitious materials (e.g., during processing and setting of lime mortars, gypsum plaster, or cement/concrete), as well as ceramics (e.g., phase evolution during firing of bricks);
  • evaluation of mineralogical changes undergone by such building materials due to physical and chemical weathering, as well as biodeterioration. In particular, the mechanisms that lead to degradation involving phase transformation (dissolution and precipitation) and/or new formation (e.g., salt weathering), as well as clay-related damage (swelling and shrinking);
  • mineralogical analysis of inorganic conservation materials, their application, and evaluation of their effectiveness.
These studies should focus on both traditional and novel materials used in the protection and conservation of the built heritage, including but not limited to lime-, silica-, oxalate-, and phosphate-based materials (e.g., nanolimes, alkoxysilanes, among others).

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19 May 2022
Firing and post-firing dynamics of Mg- and Ca-rich bricks used in the built heritage of the city of Padua (northeastern Italy)
Elena Mercedes Pérez-Monserrat, Lara Maritan, and Giuseppe Cultrone
Eur. J. Mineral., 34, 301–319, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-301-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-301-2022, 2022
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11 Nov 2021
Characterization and origin of the Mn-rich patinas formed on Lunéville château sandstones
Laure Gatuingt, Stéphanie Rossano, Jean-Didier Mertz, Chloé Fourdrin, Olivier Rozenbaum, Quentin Lemasson, Solenn Reguer, Nicolas Trcera, and Bruno Lanson
Eur. J. Mineral., 33, 687–702, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-33-687-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-33-687-2021, 2021
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