Solid Surfaces—Adsorption - Surface and Colloid Chemistry: Principles and Applications - page 130

surface structures with controlled porosity and biofunctionality, and the creation of
three-dimensional building blocks for further processing, including sintered products.
The main aim has been understanding at a fundamental level these various steps
with a view to improving the processing routes for materials of technological impor-
tance and to contribute in the development of new and intelligent materials. The high
quality of particles in regard to narrow size distribution, form factors, functions, etc.,
is guaranteed by the high level of characterization methods for particles in the nano
and micro range.
5.8.4 c of a l S l u r r y
The need for fuel and energy for mankind is becoming increasingly critical, as far
as resources and dependability is concerned. The largest known energy resource is
coal, with supplies predicted to last for over 1000 years. The predicted oil and gas
supply is in the range of less than 100 years at the current rate of use of approxi-
mately 90 million barrels per day.
The coal reserves are very large, but the mobility of coal is difficult (by truck,
train, or shiploads) as compared to oil and gas (by pipelines). In order to transfer coal
in pipelines, one has to make coal slurries . Coal is finely divided, and after that, it is
dispersed in water or oil such that a suitable slurry for pipeline transfer can be suit-
ably achieved. Something similar is already being developed in the shale oil industry
(in Canada). Coal can thus be transported through pipelines after being dispersed
in conjunction with water, oil, etc. This industrial development is based on many
aspects related to the surface properties of coal.
In the past decade, a very large interest in this technology has developed. Research
is based on studying the surface properties of coal and its adsorption characteristics.
Oil production from shales is increasing as the oil prices increase. Additionally, in
many coal operations, the dust is controlled by the washwater process.
5.8.5 e a r T h q u a K e S a n d f a u l T S (S oil l I d S u r f a c e S )
The occurrence of earthquakes is a highly studied phenomena by geologists. The
role of solid surfaces in such phenomena is obvious. Especially, faults are known to
contribute to many earthquakes. Faults are treated as shear cracks, the propagation
of which may be understood through the application of fracture mechanics. The
stability of any fault movement, which determines whether the faulting is seismic
or aseismic, is determined by the frictional constitutive law of the fault surface. It is
well established that, once a fault has been formed, its further motion is controlled
by friction (between the solid surfaces), which arises from contact forces across the
two solid surfaces.