EXCURSION AND SYMPOSIUM MINERALOGY AND IN DUSTRY - OCTOBER 3 4 AND 5,1994 ON OCCASION OF THE 174TH ANNUAL-MEETING OF THE SWISS-ACADEMY-OF-SCIENCES/

The symposium ''Mineralogy and Industry'' was preceeded by a two-day e xcursion. Several enterprises producing common building and ceramic ma terials - concrete aggregate, Portland cement, brick, glassware - were visited by a large group of mineralogically interested representative s from industry and universities. It was demonstrated and discussed ho w practical problems ranging from raw material extraction to emission control can be treated to some extent by mineralogical methods, at lea st if the term mineralogy is defined broadly enough, and if other disc iplines are included. Further basic aspects of applied mineralogy were studied at an exhibition of cores from drill holes made by Nagra (Nat ionale Genossenschaft fur die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfalle) for testi ng the suitability of rock formations underlying N-Switzerland as host s for radioactive waste disposal. Oral contributions to the symposium brought forward examples and case studies covering different fields of applied mineralogy and petrology. The rock/water interaction studies concerning the Wellenberg site in Central Switzerland - also considere d for radioactive waste disposal - testify to an evolution that is goi ng beyond the more traditional industrial applications of mineralogy.