High-pressure mineral physics is a field that is strongly driven by the development of new technology. Fifty years ago, when experimentally achievable pressures were limited to just 25 GPa, little was known about the mineralogy of the Earth’s lower mantle. Silicate perovskite, the likely dominant mineral of the deep Earth, was identified only when the high-pressure techniques broke the pressure barrier of 25 GPa in the 1970s. However, as the maximum achievable pressure reached beyond 1 Megabar (100 GPa) and even to the pressure of Earth’s core on minute samples, new discoveries were increasingly fostered by the development of new analytical techniques and improvements in sensitivity and precision of existing techniques.

In this book we decided to attach the permil sign (‰) to all Li isotopic quantities. One way of viewing stable isotopes denoted by δ is that the arithmetic sets the results as being part-per-thousand quantities, so to place the ‰ on a value is redundant. However, this implies a certain familiarity from the reader. Our decision regarding the ‰ in this volume was guided by the potential that the audience may include those not so steeped in the thinking of stable isotopes. This calls to mind a historical note regarding Li isotopes. Readers of the early literature on the subject (beginning with Chan in 1987) will find papers that use δ6Li. Prior to 2000, using the now-accepted δ7Li notation was viewed as an unwanted usurpation by at least one prominent geochemist. Nevertheless, being clear is important, and although δ7Li was not the first notation employed, it follows stable isotope convention. We find that students have a hard enough time understanding isotope geochemistry, so to oppose the notation used in virtually all systems (positive values are isotopically heavier than negative values) invites confusion. Hence, our use of the ‰ is a further step to make this compilation clear for all.

The Tenth International Conference on Molten Slags, Fluxes and Salts (MOLTEN16) was held in Seattle, Washington, USAfromMay 22-25,2016 and organized by TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society). The conference purpose was to provide an opportunity for scientists and engineers to share their new research findings, innovations, and industrial technological developments. The conference also aligns quite well with the TMS strategic goal to sustain and grow the core innovation in process engineering and to develop novel materials. The organizers are pleased to conclude that the set strategic goals were met and a very high-quality technical program with the participation of expert researchers in the field was held. <...>

It is known that methane (and, in smaller amounts, higher hydrocarbons) is liberated during the coalification process. The amounts of methane developed vary in the different stages of coalification. Calculations on the basis of ultimate analyses of coals of different rank done by Mott (1943), Patteisky(1952, 1964) and Jüntgen and Karweil (1966) lead to the conclusion that greater amounts of methane start to be developed when the stage of bituminous coals with about 30% of volatile matter (dry and ash-free) is reached, whereas the gas developed from lignite and less metamorphosed bituminous coals is mainly carbon dioxide.