• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.279-281
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• 2001

• Mineral and Industry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-45
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• 2003

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1994

The industrial minerals play an important role in mining sector. More than 70 % of total mineral production come from industrial mineral sector. This paper reviews geological occurrence of kaolin, pyrophyllite and limestone, and current demand-supply status of major industrial minerals in the Republic of Korea. The kaolin is mainly distributed in the Kyeongsang province, formed by deep weathering of Precambrian anorthosite on mountainside of gentle slope. The pyrophyllite mainly occurs in the Kyeongsang and Chulla provinces, formed by hydrothermal alteration of late Cretaceous andesitic and rhyolitic rocks. Pyrophyllite comprises massive and lenticular bodies and contains minor amounts of kaolin, alunite and pyrite, in some places andalusite and illite. The limestone(Great Limestone Series of Cambrian age) is distributed widely in the Kwangwon and Chungcheong provinces. The limestone bodies are approzimately 70 km long and 3 km wide, elongated NE-ward, and show high grade of CaO content. In 1992, the self-sufficiency ratio of 44 nonfuel (metallic and non-metallic) minerals was no more than 30 percent. However, the ratio of 27 industrial minerals (non-metallic) represents high value of about 72 percent. The export/productjon ratio of the industrial minerals shows decreasing patterns from 12.2 % in 1983 to 4.2 % in 1992. Also the import/production ratio shows rapidly decreasing pattern from 84 % in 1983 to 38.2 % in 1992.