Dr. Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco
Associate Professor, Geology

Projects

• Title
  • SEparating Critical metals ThrOugh mineRal crystallization (SEleCTOR)
• Summary
  • The goal of SEleCTOR is to develop novel, clean and cheap protocols to separate rare earths from waters. We will design functionally engineered nanosized carbonates with targeted structures and surface properties that will control the selective capture of specific rare earths from water. Rare earths (e.g., lanthanum, neodymium, dysprosium) are indispensable elements for smart technology and their utilisation is a key economic indicator. However, their supply is at risk in the medium term (2020-2030) because their demand is steadily increasing and their separation requires inefficient, expensive and environmentally aggressive extraction methods. SEleCTOR aims to build a deep, fundamental understanding of how rare earths fractionate during the formation of synthetic Ca-Mg-Sr carbonate nanominerals. By manipulating basic parameters (e.g., supersaturation, Ca/Mg/Sr ratio, pH, temperature) it will be possible to design carbonate nanominerals with targeted structural and surface properties that will promote the capture of specific rare earth elements from aqueous solutions. This method will decrease water contamination and reduce Ireland's reliance on energy imports. I will combine my world-class skills in mineral-water interaction and mineral formation processes with leading knowledge in carbonate and rare earth geochemistry at Trinity College Dublin to establish a unique platform for rare earth recovery.
• Funding Agency
  • Science Foundation Ireland
• Date From
  • 01/09/2020
• Date To
  • 31/08/2024

• Title
  • TARGETing crystallisation for Enhanced Carbon Capture and Storage (TARGET-CCS)
• Summary
  • This project aims to investigate the poorly understood geochemical conditions under which metastable carbonates can crystallise during the interaction of CO2-rich fluids with basaltic rocks in order to enhance their stability and maximise their capacity to store CO2.
• Funding Agency
  • Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
• Date From
  • 01/09/2018
• Date To
  • 31/08/2022

• Title
  • Design of synthetic rare-earth carbonate minerals for chemical filters
• Summary
  • Today, mineral-water interaction studies have become increasingly relevant to environmental problems. In particular, many studies address the use of ubiquitous minerals (e.g., gypsum, calcite) for the potential purification and removal of toxic pollutants from wastewaters. This project will evaluate the feasibility of synthetic rare-earth carbonates as green chemical filters for industry. In particular, the aims of this study are: (i) to find out the precise conditions at which rare- earth carbonates are able to remove specific (in)organic pollutants from natural waters, (ii) determine the mechanisms by which the removal of pollutants takes place, (iii) quantify the efficiency and reproducibility of the decontamination process and the course of the reaction over time. We will do this by carrying out batch experiments in which pollutants will be interacted with rare-earth carbonates while they crystallise from solution. We will test common and problematic soil pollutants: divalent and trivalent cations (e.g., Pb2+, Cr3+) and simple organics (e.g., chlorinated solvents like perchloroethene). Besides, a bonus to this project will be the use of synchrotron-based techniques to follow these reactions in situ and real time. This will allow us to obtain high-resolution kinetic data to understand the nature of the crystallisation mechanisms as well as the fate of pollutants.
• Funding Agency
  • Trinity College Dublin
• Date From
  • 01/09/2019
• Date To
  • 31/08/2023

• Title
  • Targeting the crystallisation of environmentally and technologically important inorganic materials by a novel hydrothermal injection process.
• Summary
  • In this project we aim to explore the crystallisation of environmentally and technologically relevant materials under hydrothermal conditions using a novel "hydrothermal injection" reactor designed at TCD. This reactor system allows targeting of the nucleation and growth of specific crystalline phases by the introduction of reagents to a pre-heated, pressurised aqueous system at the exact temperature desired. Internal temperature and pressure monitoring enable precise control of the sample environment. These combined factors will facilitate a greater understanding of the relationship between the hydrothermal conditions of temperature, pressure, and time and the structure and morphology of the obtained products, giving fundamental insights into crystallisation mechanisms and pathways. Here we aim to apply this novel reactor technology to developing a deeper understanding of the hydrothermal crystallisation of important naturally occurring minerals, such as the Ca-Mg-Sr carbonates, as well as expanding on existing work on the generation of functional II-VI semiconducting nanomaterials.
• Funding Agency
  • Trinity College Dublin
• Date From
  • 01/09/2018
• Date To
  • 31/08/2021

• Title
  • MetalIntelligence Research Training Network - Project: Efficient characterisation of minerals and fabrics with the scanning electron microscope
• Summary
  • This project is part of the H2020 MetalIntelligence Research Network (European Industrial Doctorates - 6 PhD students). The general objectives of this research network are: i) Training and equipping a new generation of leaders in the minerals processing field. ii) Providing lasting novel technological and training methods to build capacity and improve efficiency. iii) Undertaking innovative research across the trans-disciplinary edges of sector compartments. This specific research project ("Efficient characterisation of minerals and fabrics with the scanning electron microscope") aims at bridging the gap between industry and academia in terms of mineral and material (natural or synthetic) characterisation. SEM-EDS allows for data acquisition within a reasonable timeframe and can be also used for in situ chemical analysis, grain association and mineral liberation analysis (MLA), using AZtec software, developed by industry partner Oxford Instruments. However, distinguishing among different grains and their associations is still difficult to be satisfactorily achieved and is very time-consuming. Thus, the key objective of this project is to improve the software limitations so as to make MLA quicker and more accurate, resulting in more industry-relevant analysis turnaround.
• Funding Agency
  • European Commission
• Date From
  • 01/09/2017
• Date To
  • 31/08/2020

• Title
  • NanoCArB: The role of boron in the crystallisation and surface properties of CaCO3 at the nanoscale
• Summary
  • marie_curieNanoCArB is an FP7 EU-funded Marie Curie project: "The role of boron in the crystallisation and surface properties of CaCO3 at the nanoscale". The goal of NanoCArB is to carry out an in depth study of the effects of boron in the chemistry and crystallisation of carbonates. How surface properties of calcite in contact with borate-rich solutions are affected at the atomic- and nanoscale, is a subject that only has been addressed in the laboratory from a basic viewpoint. This study will enable me to provide key information on how to improve water cleaning treatments, scaling inhibition methods, develop better strategies to extract oil from chalk, and also to advance in the understanding of processes that occur at the global scale (e.g. ocean acidification, climate change).
• Funding Agency
  • EU FP7
• Date From
  • 2015
• Date To
  • 2016

• Title
  • Gypsum grows from sub-3 nm rod-shaped primary particles. What are they?
• Summary
  • We studied the early stages of crystallization of calcium sulfates from solution to understand the early stage formation processes of bassanite, also known as "Plaster of Paris", and transformation to gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)
• Funding Agency
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
• Date From
  • 22/05/2015
• Date To
  • 24/05/2015

• Title
  • Coarsening and stability of calcite in subsurface environments: an in-situ SAXS/WAXS study
• Summary
  • Synchrotron-based experiments to study the coarsening of calcite at ambient and hydrothermal conditions. Principal investigator I wrote the proposal, designed experiments, attended beamtime and evaluated the synchrotron data.
• Funding Agency
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
• Date From
  • 09/05/2014
• Date To
  • 13/05/2014

• Title
  • The crystallization of calcium sulphates: a mechanistic insight into an elusive process
• Summary
  • I studied the crystallization of calcium sulfates from solution to understand the early stage formation processes of two of the most important industrial minerals (bassanite, also known as "Plaster of Paris" and gypsum).
• Funding Agency
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
• Date From
  • 14/09/2012
• Date To
  • 18/09/2012

• Title
  • Crystallization of calcium carbonate polymorphs in the presence of Mg, SO4 and PO4 ions: from primary nanoparticles to crystalline minerals
• Summary
  • Synchrotron-based experiments to study crystallization of calcium carbonate polymorphs in the presence of Mg, SO4 and PO4 ions to shed light on the most important processes of carbonate biomineral formation in seawater. Co-principal investigator. I participated on proposal writing, design of experiments, attended beamtime and evaluated the synchrotron data.
• Funding Agency
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
• Date From
  • 08/07/2010
• Date To
  • 12/07/2010

• Title
  • Fundamental studies of carbonate biomineral formation processes - primary particles to aggregates
• Summary
  • Synchrotron-based experiments to study the crystallisation of carbonates in situ and real-time. Co-principal investigator. I participated on proposal writing, design of experiments, attended beamtime and evaluated the synchrotron data.
• Funding Agency
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
• Date From
  • 31/07/2009
• Date To
  • 04/08/2009

• Title
  • Supercritical CO2 REactivity in polymineralic-fluid systems (SCORE)
• Summary
  • The interaction of Ca-Mg-Fe bearing rocks with CO2 is a recommended technology to promote carbon capture and storage (CCS) via mineral trapping. Although much has been learned during the last decades about the CCS under basaltic reservoirs, the physicochemical relationships between water, dissolved ions and growing crystals in complex multicomponent systems are not well understood at the micro- and nanoscale and at the fundamental level. This knowledge gap is even larger when research involves supercritical CO2. For example, during the last decade much laboratory-based research on Ca-Mg-Fe carbonate formation has been focused on the dissolution and co-precipitation in CO2-rich aqueous solutions with one or two components (e.g., forsterite-magnesite system). However, research mimicking complex geologic systems involving multiple minerals and various ions simultaneously in solution and supercritical CO2 is very scarce. SCORE will experimentally fill this gap: We will follow a bottom-up experimental approach to study the formation mechanisms and kinetics of carbonate minerals at the atomic and nanoscale to evaluate the effect of multicomponent solutions and polymineralic systems during CCS under supercritical CO2 conditions. Results will allow predicting carbon uptake and reaction behaviour for large field sequestration projects.
• Funding Agency
  • SFI via iCRAG
• Date From
  • 01/09/2022
• Date To
  • 31/08/2026

• Title
  • Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer for the characterisation of geologic and environmentally-relevant materials and rocks
• Summary
  • I applied to this funding scheme to purchase a FTIR Spectrometer for research and teaching purposes. This is a compact and versatile instrument used to obtain infrared spectra of solid materials. It can deliver reliable data by minimizing the steps needed to measure and identify materials. This instrument will be installed in the Earth Surface Research Laboratory (ESRL, that will act as a partner in this project) at Trinity College Dublin to provide state-of-the-art bulk-rock geochemical analyses for the research community in Ireland.
• Funding Agency
  • Geological Survey Ireland
• Date From
  • 10/12/2021
• Date To
  • 10/12/2022