Prof. Ali Zaoui

Lille University, France.

In this talk I will focus, first, on the general composition of the clay minerals. Then a detailed study will be presented on the clays, their applications as well as their relationship with pollutants. The problem of swelling of clays will be explained in the case of bulk (i.e. the presence of water in the interlayer space), and surface (wettability). In addition, I will explain the behavior of clays under temperature and pressure effects. The discussion will be extended to the importance of clays in the radioactive waste storage. Finally, some examples will be given about the interfaces of clays with other minerals.

Prof Ali Zaoui is a full professor (Polytech'Lille / University of Lille) since February 2005. He is actually professor of Exceptional Class 2. In September 1999 he was employed as a research associate at the INFM (National Institute of Matter Physics), Italy. He then jointed the Max Planck Institute of Stuttgart, in Germany. His research has been mainly dedicated to the modeling and simulation methods based on first-principles, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo. They cover a wide range of materials and fields of research including Semiconductors, metals, geo-materials, water, interaction water and soil, environment, nano-composites, surfaces, interfaces... He has published over 200 papers in international journals and has supervised around 30 PhD students. In addition, he is director of the international master program nanoscience and nanotechnology for civil engineering at Polytech’Lille (http://master-nngc.univ-lille1.fr), and he is member of the national committee of universities in France. Since January 2020, he is Director of the regional laboratory of civil engineering and geo-environment, LGCgE (more than 220 people) in the north of France. (https://www.lgcge.fr).