Michael Schindler

Assistant Professor
Environmental Mineralogy

Department of Earth Sciences
Laurentian University
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 2C6
Telephone: (705) 675-1151 ext 2368
E-mail: mschindler@laurentian.ca

Research Interests

The fate of heavy elements in the environment is controlled by their transport properties, the dissolution and growth of minerals containing these elements, their uptake by minerals and their adsorption on mineral surfaces. Processes such as dissolution, growth, adsorption and uptake occur at or near the mineral-water interface. Interpretation of these observations requires an understanding of the structure and property of mineral surfaces and the crystal-chemical properties of the heavy element involved in the surface process. My research focuses on an understanding of these surface processes using surface analytical methods and crystal-chemical theory and can be divided into two parts: (a) dissolution of uranyl-minerals and (b) uptake of heavy elements by coatings on minerals and rocks.

Available Research Projects

If you are interested in an Honor Thesis or M.Sc. research project, please contact me. Available projects include studies on:

• The uptake of heavy elements by rock coatings in the mine tailings of Sudbury and Elliot Lake.
• The uptake of heavy elements by coatings on mineral surfaces in the acidic soils of Sudbury.

Current Graduate Students

Nathalie M. Mantha
B.Sc. Interaction between atmospheric components and mineral surfaces on rocks of the Greater Sudbury area. [Schindler]
Email: nm_mantha@laurentian.ca

Representative Publications

Journal Articles

Hawthorne, F.C. and Schindler, M. (2007): Understanding the weakly bonded constituents in oxysalt minerals. Z. Kristallogr. (in press).

Schindler, M., Sokolova, E., Abdu, J., Hawthorne, F.C., Evans, B.W. and Ishida, K. (2007): The crystal chemistry of the gedrite-group amphiboles. I: Crystal structure and site populations. Can. Mineral. (submitted).

Schindler, M., Freund, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Burns, P.C. and Maurice, P.A. (2007): Dissolution of uranophane: An AFM, XPS and SEM study. Geochim. Cosmochim. (submitted).

Schindler, M., Freund, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Burns, P.C. (2007): XPS spectra of uranyl minerals and synthetics. II. The O 1s Spectrum. Geochim. Cosmochim. (submitted)

Schindler, M., Freund, M., Hawthorne, F.C. and Burns, P.C. (2007): XPS spectra of uranyl minerals and synthetics. I. The U 4f Spectrum. Geochim. Cosmochim. (submitted)

Schindler, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Burns, P.C. and Maurice, P.A. (2007): Dissolution of uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate minerals: IV. Fourmarieirite and synthetic Pbx(H2O)y[(UO2)6x(O,OH)z] Can. Mineral. (in press).

Schindler, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Burns, P.C. and Maurice, P.A. (2007): Dissolution of uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate minerals: III. Billietite, Can. Mineral. (in press.).

Schindler, M. and Hawthorne, F.C. (2007): The stereochemistry and chemical composition of interstitial complexes in uranyl-oxysalt minerals with sheet structural unit. Can. Mineral. (accepted).

Schindler, M., Huminicki, D.M.C. and Hawthorne, F.C. (2006) Sulfate minerals: I. Bond topology and chemical composition. Can. Mineral. 44, 1403-1430.

Schindler, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Burns, P.C. and Maurice, P.A. (2006): Dissolution of uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate minerals: II. Becquerelite. Can. Mineral. 44, 1207-1225.

Schindler, M., Alexander, M.A., Kutluoglu, R. A., Hawthorne, F.C., Halden, N.M., Mitchell, R.H. (2005e): Synthesis and Structural characterization of the vanadium insertion electrodes Na1.2[V3O8] and Na0.7Li0.7[V3O8]. J. Solid State Chemistry, 179, 2616-2628.

Schindler, M., Mandaliev, P., Hawthorne, F.C. and Putnis, A. (2006): Dissolution of uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate minerals: I.curite. Can. Mineral. 44, 415-431.