Activity 1
Lead: Ali TLILI (Professeur), Mongi FELHI (Maître-assistant)
The dolomites of the Seugdal Formation (Upper Lutetian–Priabonian) in the Gafsa-Metlaoui basin constitute a promising mineral resource for environmental applications. Petrographic and mineralogical studies have highlighted their heterogranular texture and high porosity, giving them significant absorbent properties. Experimental tests have notably demonstrated a lead retention capacity reaching 80%. Building on this work, this research area aims to evaluate the potential of natural dolomites for removing dyes present in textile industry effluents. These effluents are harmful to health and can even pollute groundwater (Ben Mansour et al., 2009). Thus, thanks to their textural characteristics and specific surface area, these geomaterials represent a sustainable, economical, and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional industrial water treatment processes.
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Activity 2
Lead: Ali TLILI (Professeur), Mongi FELHI (Maître-assistant)
This research area focuses on the valorization of fine waste (< 71 µm) resulting from phosphate washing in the Gafsa-Metlaoui basin. These residues, representing nearly 20% of the processed ore and containing about 10% P₂O₅, constitute a significant source of environmental pollution while still holding untapped recovery potential. The objective is to optimize the extraction of residual phosphate through flotation in order to increase the P₂O₅ content, reduce the volume of mining waste, and limit its impact on soils, groundwater, and public health. This approach is part of a sustainable valorization strategy for phosphate resources and a reduction of the environmental impacts of mining activity.
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Activity 3
Lead: Ali TLILI (Professeur), Mongi FELHI (Maître-assistant)
In Tunisia, non-detrital siliceous rocks are more or less affected by diagenesis, giving them fairly significant porosity. This property gives these geomaterials various applications, particularly the filtration of crude sulfur and wastewater. In the Gafsa-Metlaoui basin, porcelanites, of biogenic origin, are essentially composed of opal-CT associated with carbonates, phosphates, and phyllosilicates. The cherts of the Numidian (far northern Tunisia), however, are essentially composed of quartz associated with illite and kaolinite. This research area focuses on the exploration and valorization of non-detrital siliceous rocks, particularly porcelanites and cherts, whose mineralogical properties and porosity make them geomaterials with strong potential. In Tunisia, these rocks have already demonstrated their effectiveness in the filtration of crude sulfur, wastewater treatment, and the manufacture of geopolymers. Future work aims to extend their applications to the synthesis of zeolites intended for the retention of pollutants and gases, with a view to the sustainable valorization of mineral resources.
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Activity 4
Lead: Nabil Njeh (Professeur)
This research activity focuses on the development of new methods for producing fine-grained alloys, with the aim of controlling and improving the quality of the resulting products. It includes the mechanical characterization of alloys through compression, tensile, and hardness tests carried out in the laboratory, complemented by nano-indentation tests in collaboration with the University of Burgundy. The study also includes microstructural characterization using EBSD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in partnership with the same institution. Finally, electrochemical corrosion and dry corrosion tests will be carried out to evaluate the performance of the alloys and compare the effectiveness of these new approaches with conventional methods.
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