Mark Tyrer - Consulting Geochemist

Introduction

I am a geochemist, specialising in low temperature interactions between groundwater, rock, cement and wastes, especially as they  relate to environmental protection and resource efficiency. I have interests in  mineral processing technologies (refining and synthesis in molten salts, ultrasonics and electrokinetic dewatering of solids) and in computational thermodynamics. Much of my work has focused on geological aspects of waste management, both the underground storage of nuclear waste and in near-surface barriers to control pollution migration. My private practice is described in more detail on the consultancy page, but includes:

  • Thermodynamic simulation of near field processes
  • Cement chemistry, especially as it applies to waste management
  • Low-embodied energy construction materials
  • Novel sorbents derived from waste materials
  • Mineral processing technologies
  • Resource-efficient materials and materials re-use
             My full and short CVs can be downloaded here.
                               
                                                                                                           

             My publication list can be downloaded here.

                                            

In addition, I undertake review work and proposal preparation, along with some site investigation and experimental work, both in the UK and overseas.

MIRO

I work as a Research Manager for MIRO, the Minerals Industry Research Organisation, where I manage projects and develop new ideas of benefit to MIRO's member companies. I have been associated with MIRO for over ten years, having served on the Research Advisory Panel (AIMRAP) and have worked as a contractor on several MIRO projects. Our current work is detailed on my MIRO page and more information is on the MIRO website

University Research

Around half of my work is in close association with the UK universities and more details can be found on the relevant pages. I joined Imperial College as a Research Fellow in 1997 after some years as Senior Geochemist with W.S. Atkins' consulting practice in Epsom. My work there continues with the Materials Department in the Royal School of Mines, but I am increasingly involved with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Most of my research at Imperial has been concerned with Cement Chemistry, both through theoretical (thermodynamic modelling) and experimental studies. I served as Research Manager for the (then) Miniwaste Faraday Partnership whilst at Imperial, which has since evolved into the UK Resource Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network. I have been fortunate in having some excellent students, both as personal tutees and as supervised research students and am pleased to continue this role, despite not being at Imperial every day.

Since 1998, I have been associated with the University of Greenwich, originally as a visiting lecturer on the M.Sc. course in Geomaterials and later, as a Visiting Fellow in the School of Earth Sciences.  I collaborate with the centre for Contaminated Land Remediation and Waste Management a group interested in the rapid carbonation of cements as routes to materials processing and environmental protection. I have co-supervised post graduate students at Greenwich and maintain an interest in that group.

In recent years, I have worked closely with University College, London, where I am a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering. My work there is a collaboration on two projects concerned with molten salt chemistry; one on mineral refining and one on cement mineral synthesis. I have also collaborated for some while with the Industrial Minerals Group (originally at Birkbeck College) who now are part of the UCL Materials Chemistry Centre. Much of this work is synchrotron science and my collaborations have been on sulphate minerals and cement carbonation. Both studies have required long hours at the Daresbury synchrotron in Cheshire and will, in due course use the new DIAMOND light source near Oxford. The third department with whom I collaborate at UCL is Civil Engineering, where we are investigating routes to the safe management of electroplating wastes.  My scientific contribution there is  largely in using thermodynamic  calculations to better understand the system chemistry.

Other Activities

The page marked Other Associations is a catch-all list of other organisations with whom I am associated. In no particular order, they include:

  • The National Physical Laboratory
  • The Geological Society of London
  • The Royal Society of Chemistry
  • The Royal Institution
  • The Institute of Materials, Metals and Mining
  • The Society of Chemical Industry
  • The British Standards Institution
  • The Association of Consulting Scientists
  • The Editorial Board of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy (Maney Publishing)
  • Land and Minerals Surveys Ltd. (Bristol)
  • MiMeMiP (Mineral and Metals, Mining and Processing Network)
  • WARMNET (Waste and Resource Management Network)
  • The University of Coventry
  • The University of Greenwich
  • ICON (Imperial College Consultants Ltd.)
  • RWIN (Radioactive Waste Immobilisation Network) University of Sheffield
If you find a dead link, I should be grateful if you let me know. Thank you.



Disclaimer

Lastly, I should say this website has absolutely nothing to do with any of the companies, Institutions, authorities or people listed in it. No approval from any of them has been sought, nor is any implied. Moreover, all the mistakes, and omissions here, are entirely my own.  I have not used the logo or other symbol associated with any of these bodies, as I  respect their respective copyrights. Should anyone particularly wish their symbol to appear here, I trust that they will contact me.