• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.29-50
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• 2003

Physicochemical Properties of acid mine water of the Chonam-ri Creek and the Sagok-ri Creek in the Kwangyang Au-Ag mine area were determined using geochemical approaches. Metal contamination (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) is more serious in the Chonam-ri Creek than in the Sagok-ri Creek. However, the contents of Al and Fe is higher in the Sagok-ri Creek. Such differences between the two creeks probably reflect the abundance and composition of ore minerals. The attenuation processes for acid mine water in both creeks were investigated. In the Chonam-ri Creek, a small retention pond which contains limestone plays an important role in the removal of heavy metals by adsorption or coprecipitation due to increase of pH. The capacity of metal scavenging in this pond depends on the seasonal variation of inflow volume. Reddish yellow precipitates sampled in the Chonam-ri Creek were analyzed by XRD, SEM-EDS, EPMA, and chemical decomposition. The precipitates mainly consist of goethite and are also enriched in Al, Mn, Cu and Zn. This inditates that precipitation of goethite is important for scavenging those trace elements, possibly due to adsorption or coprecipitation. In the Sagok-ri Creek, on the other hand, hydrologic mixing of uncontaminated tributaries results in removal of heavy metals with iron hydroxides precipitation due to the pH increase. The mechanisms proposed for metal attenuation at the confluence between contaminated mine water and uncontaminated tributary water are also explained by the property-property plots.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.177-189
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• 2003

The main purposes of this study are to utilize mineralogical studies such as optical microscope, XRD and SEM/EDS analyses to characterize the oxidation of sulfide minerals and the mechanisms controlling the movement of dissolved metals from waste rocks at the abandoned Seobo mine. Mineralogical research of the waste rocks confirms the presence of anglesite, covellite, goethite, native sulfur and nsutite as secondary minerals, suggesting that these phases control the dissolved concentrations of As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The dissolved metals are precipitated, adsorbed and/or coprecipitated with(or within) Fe(Mn)-hydroxides and Mn(Fe)-hydroxides. The main phases of secondary mineral, Fe-hydroxide, can be classified as amorphous or poorly crystalline and more crystallized phases(e.g. goethite) by crystallinity. Amorphous or poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide has relatively high As contents(9-24 wt.%). This poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide changes toward more crystallized phase(e.g. goethite) which contains relatively low As(0.6-7.7 wt.%). These results are mainly due to the progressive release of As with the crystallization evolution of the As-trapping poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides. It is also attributed to the differences of specific surface areas between the poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides and well crystallized phases. The dissolved metals from waste rocks at Seobo mine area are naturally attenuated by a series of precipitation(as Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb), coprecipitation(Fe, Mn) and adsorption(As, Cu, Pb, An) reactions. The results of mineralogical researches permit to assess the environmental impacts of mine waste rocks in the areas, and can be used as a useful data to lay available mine restoration plan.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2003

Mn was extracted by using a nitric acid from the reduced ferromanganese dust and the basic experiments were taken to refine the manganese nitrate solution by means of precipitation of Ca, Mg oxalate. The dust was generated in AOD process producing a medium-low carbon ferromanganese and collected in the bag filter. Manganese oxide content in the dust was about 90% and its phase was confirmed as $Mn_3$$O_4$. $Mn_3$$O_4$ in the dust was reduced to MnO by roasting with activated charcoal. The main impurities in the extracted solution prepared by leaching the reduced dust with nitric acid were Na, K, Fe, Si, Ca, Mg etc. Among them, Fe was removed by controlling pH of the solution more than 4 and precipitating $Fe(OH)_3$, simultaneously silicious material solved in the solution was removed by co-precipitation with the ferric hydroxide. Addition of 150 g reduced dust into 4N HNO3 solution 1$\ell$ was appropriate to control the pH of the solution to pH 4. To differ greatly the solubilities of manganese oxalate and calcium or magnesium oxalate in a solution containing a high concentration of Mn, pH of 4 or less and addition of ($NH_4$)$_2$$C_2$$O_4$ in equivalent with Ca and Mg are recommended. At this time, the higher temperature was the shorter the precipitation reaction time was needed.

• Clean Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.284-291
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• 2010

Nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) is a greenhouse material which is hard to remove. Even with a catalytic process it requires a reaction temperature, at least, higher than 670 K. This study has been performed to see the effects of Ce addition to the mixed oxide catalyst which shows the highest activity in decomposing $N_2O$ completely at temperature as low as 473 K when CO is used as a reducing agent. Mixed metal oxide(MMO) catalyst was made through co-precipitation process with small amount of Ce added to the base components of Co, Al and Rh or Pd. Consequently, the surface area of the catalyst decreased with the contents of Ce, and the catalytic activity of direct decomposition of $N_2O$ also decreased. However, in the presence of CO, the activity was found high enough to compensate the portion of activity decrease by Ce addition, so that it can be ascertained that the catalytic activity and stability can be maintained in the CO involved $N_2O$ reduction system when Ce is added for the physical stability of the catalyst.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 2010

The FTS(Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) was carried out over precipitated iron-based catalysts with or without $SiO_2$ in a fixed-bed reactor at $250^{\circ}C$ and 1.5 MPa. The catalysts with $SiO_2$ showed much higher catalytic activity for the FTS than those without $SiO_2$, displaying excellent stability during 144 h of reaction. The X-ray diffraction and $N_2$ physisorption revealed that the catalysts with $SiO_2$ showed enhanced dispersion of $Fe_2O_3$ compared with those without $SiO_2$. Also, the results of temperature-programmed reduction by $H_2$ showed that the addition of $SiO_2$ markedly promoted the reduction of $Fe_2O_3$ into $Fe_3O_4$ and FeO at low temperatures below $260^{\circ}C$. In contrast, surface basicity of the catalysts, which was analyzed by temperature-programmed desorption of $CO_2$, decreased as a result of $SiO_2$ addition. We attribute the high and stable performance of the catalysts with $SiO_2$ to the improved dispersion and reducibility by the $SiO_2$ addition.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2010

The Myoungbong mine located in Boseong-gun, Jellanamdo consists of Au-Ag bearing quartz veins which filled the fissures of Bulguksa granitic rocks of Cretaceous. The tailings obtained from the Myungbong mine were used to investigate the effects of various processes, such as oxidation of primary sulfides and formation(alteration) of secondary and/or tertiary minerals, on arsenic immobilization in tailings. This study was conducted via both mineralogical and chemical methods. Mineralogical methods used included gravity and magnetic separation, ultrasonic cleaning, and instrumental analyses(X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalyzer) and aqua regia extraction technique for soils was applied to determine the elemental concentrations in the tailings. Iron (oxy)hydroxides formed as a result of oxidation of tailings were identified as three specific forms. The first form filled in rims and fissures of primary pyrites. The second one precipitated and coated the surfaces of gangue minerals and the final form was altered into yukonites. Initially, large amounts of acid-generating minerals, such as pyrite and arsenopyrite, might make the rapid progress of oxidation reactions, and lots of secondary minerals including iron (oxy)hydroxides and scorodite were formed. The rate of pH decrease in tailings diminished, in addition, as the exposure time of tailings to oxidation environments was prolonged and the acid-generating minerals were depleted. Rather, it is speculated that the pH of tailings increased, as the contribution of pH neutralization reactions by calcite contained in surrounding parental rocks became larger. The stability of secondary minerals, such as scorodite, were deteriorated due to the increase in pH, and finally arsenic might be leached out. Subsequently, calcimn and arsenic ions dissociated from calcites and scorodites were locally concentrated, and yukonite could be grown tertiarily. It is confirmed that this tertiary yukonite which is one of arsenate minerals and contains arsenic in high level plays a crucial role in immobilizing arsenic in tailings. In addition to immobilization of arsenic in yukonites, the results indicate that a huge amount of iron (oxy)hydroxides formed by weathering of pyrite which is one of typical primary minerals in tailings can strongly control arsenic behavior as well. Consequently, this study elucidates that through a sequence of various processes, arsenic which was leached out as a result of weathering of primary minerals, such as arsenopyrite, and/or redissolved from secondary minerals, such as scorodite, might be immobilized by various sorption reactions including adsorption, coprecipiation, and absorption.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.329-336
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• 2006

Iron manufacturing process involves production of various by-product including slag, sludge, sintering and EAF(Electric Arc furnace dust). Some of the by-products such as EAF and sintering dust are disposed of as waste due to their high heavy metal contents. It has been notice for many years that the EAF dust also contain about 65% of Fe(0) and Fe(II) and then the possible utilization of the iron. One possibility is to apply the EAF as a lining material in conjunction with clay or HDPE liners, in waste landfill. The probable reaction between the leachate containing toxic elements such as TCE, PCE dioxine and $Cr^{6+}$ is reduction of the toxic materials in corresponding to the oxidation of the reduced iron and therefore diminishing the toxicity of the leachate. It is, however, prerequisite to evaluate the leaching characteristics of the EAF dust before application. Amelioration of the leachate would be archived only when the level of toxic elements in the treated leachate is less than that of in the untreated leachate. Several leaching techniques were selected to cover different conditions and variable environments including time, pH and contact method. The testing methods include availability test, pH-stat test and continuous column test. Cr and Zn are potentially leachable elements among the trace metals. The pH of the EAF dust is highly alkaline, recording around 12 and Zn is unlikely to be leached under the condition. On the contrary Cr is more leachable under alkaline environment. However, the released Cr should be reduced to $Cr^{3+}$ and then removed as $Cr(OH)_3$. Removal of the Cr is observed in the column test and further study on the specific reaction of Cr and EAF dust is underway.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.301-310
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• 2014

To investigate the role of fault gauge in the behavior of heavy metals caused by the acid rock drainage in the area of pyrite-rich andesite, XRD, pH measurement, XRF, SEM-EDS, ICP, and sequential extraction method were used. Bed rock consists of quartz, pyrophyllite, pyrite, illite, and topaz, but the brown-colored fault gouge is composed of quartz, illite, chlorite, smectite, goethite, and cacoxenite. The mineral composition of bed rock suggests that it is heavily altered by hydrothermal activity. The concentrations of heavy metals in the bed rock are as follows, Zn > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd, and those in fault gouge are As > Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd. The concentrations of the heavy metals in the fault gouge are generally higher than those in the bed rock, especially for Pb, As, and Cr, which were more than twice as those in the bed rock. It is believed that the difference in the amount of heavy metals between the bed rock and the fault gouge is mainly due to the existence of goethite which is the main mineral composition in the fault gouge and can play important role in sequestering these metals by coprecipitation and adsorption. The low pH, caused by oxidation of pyrite, also plays significant role in fixation of those metals. It is confirmed that the fractions of labile (step 1) and acid-soluble (step 2), which can be easily released into the environment, were higher in the bed rock. Those fractions were relatively low in fault gauge, suggesting that fault gauge can play important role as a sink of heavy metals to prevent those ones from being released in the area where the acid rock drainage can have an influence.