Conveners:
Claudio Finocchiaro (Università degli Studi di Catania)
Concetta Rispoli (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II)
Davide Comboni (Università degli Studi di Milano)
Stefano Columbu (Università degli Studi di Cagliari)
The ongoing green transition, promoted by European policies and the United Nations 2030 Agenda, requires a profound rethinking of resource exploitation, material design and industrial processes. In this framework, geomaterials play a key role in fostering sustainable development and circular economy strategies, bridging geosciences, industry and environmental applications. This session aims to gather scientific contributions focused on the state of the art, innovative characterization and sustainable applications of natural and secondary geomaterials. Special attention will be given to low-impact technological processes, waste valorisation and the reuse of mining, industrial and construction by-products as alternative raw materials. The session welcomes studies on a wide range of geomaterials, including (but not limited to) zeolites, feldspars, clay minerals, layered double hydroxides, inert aggregates, ashes and mining wastes, addressing applications in industry, environmental remediation, sustainable construction and cultural heritage conservation. Novel contributions integrating advanced analytical techniques, digital tools, modelling approaches and data-driven methodologies are particularly encouraged, as well as research highlighting the role of geomaterials in climate-change mitigation and resilience strategies. The session is open to industrial workers and researchers at all career stages, with a special emphasis on contributions from young ones.