• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.283-287
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• 2008

The imogolite synthesis wore performed by using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and aluminium-sec-butoxide (ASB) at < $100^{\circ}C$. A mixure of TEOS and ASB in a molar ratio of 1:2 was prepared under vigorous stirring and the experiments were performed under the hydrothemal refluxing condition. When the concentration of TEOS and ASB in solution was 0.5 M, a well-crystallized imogolite was synthesized, and the reflections wore shown at d = 22.4, $9.5\;\AA$ etc., after XRD analysis. DTA analysis shows 2 exothemal peaks at 68 and $249^{\circ}C$, suggesting the dehydration and the dehyroxylation reaction, respectively. The result of TG indicates 41% weight loss. And the weak and unsymmetrical peaks by the Si-O-Al stretching vibrations at 953 and $993cm^{-1}$ and by O-Si-O bending vibration at $562cm^{-1}$ were observed after IR analysis. The synthetic imogolite was fibrous and shows a spiders web like network structure.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2002

Buffer capacities for two Bo horizon soils or Andisols developed from different parent materials have been investigated. The titration curves from column leaching experiment show that buffering occurred at pH 4.0 and 6.0. The buffer intensity or soil developed from pyroclastic materials (P-soil) is higher than that from basalts (B-soil). From batch test we have found that proto-imogolite and/or imogolite may control Al solubility as well as $Al(OH) _3$in the moderate acid condition. The buffer intensities ($\beta$) of P-soils were plotted on the theoretical buffering curve of $Al(OH)_3$, while $\beta$ of B-soils approached to that of proto-imogolite, which shows the solubility of short-range-order materials in P-soil control the buffer capacity. Buffering at pH 6.0 is thought to be the result of dissolution of some silicate clays and exchange reactions between $H^{+ }$and base-forming cations. Considering the amount of annual acid precipitation, aluminum solubility of Andisols, and the low BS (Base Saturation percentage), it can be predicted that prolonged acid precipitation will reduce the buffer capacity of soils and lead to soil acidification.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2002

Despite the ecological importance of potentially phytotoxic $Al_{13}$-tridecamer and its formation in the simulated condition, it was not recognized in the natural soil environment. Here we performed thermodynamic calculations to examine the stability condition of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer based on the solubility of AI in the Bo horizon of Andisols, Jeju Island, dominantly composed of AI-containing solid phases such as $Al(OH)_{3}$, proto-imogolite and/or imogolite. We have found that $Al(OH)_{3}$, proto-imogolite and/or imogolite may control Al solubility in the moderate acid condition. It means that AI total activity of the soil solution equilibrated with these solid phases ranges from $10^{-6}$ ~ $10^{-8}$M in the pH 5 to 7. Calculations based on the thermodynamic data strongly indicate that the formation of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer closely related to the total activity of AI in the system. For example, for the formation of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer of $10^{-5}$M, Al total activity of $3{\times}10^{-3}$M are needed at pH 4, and $2{\times}10^{-5}$M in the pH 5 to 7. Therefore, this research and the thermodynamic consideration suggest strongly that $Al_{13}$-tridecamer should be negligible in natural soils, especially Andisols and Spodosols, These mainly contain $Al(OH)_{3}$, proto-imogolite and/or imogolite, which could prevent the formation of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer by controlling the AI total activity low. It means that the toxicity of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer with the increase of soil acidification may be considered to be definitely low.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.89-104
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• 2012

The solubility of aluminum for two Andisol profiles formed on pyroclastic materials and basaltic rocks from Jeju Island, Korea was investigated. It is found that high organic carbon content and $Al_{pyrophosphate}/Al_{oxalate}$ ratios in the A horizons, suggesting the substantial amounts of reactive Al are associated with organic matter, whereas the low organic carbon content and the $Al_{pyrophosphate}/Al_{oxalate}$ ratios in the Bo horizons indicate that a major part of the reactive Al should be bound inorganically. The differential FT-IR spectra following acid-oxalate dissolution and heating up to 150 and $350^{\circ}C$, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation confirm that imogolite is in the Bo horizon. Our results of equilibration experiments demonstrate that the Al solubility in the Bo horizon for Andisols can be clarified by the congruent dissolution model for imogolite-type material (ITM), rather than by the simultaneous equilibrium with both ITM and Al hydroxy-interlayered aluminosilicate. With results from dialysis and aging procedures, it is noted that the formation of a proto imogolite sol showing its transformation to imogolite, which supports the congruent dissolution of ITM primarily controlling the Al solubility of Andisols in Jeju Island, Korea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.501-507
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• 2009

Ordered single-walled hollow aluminogermanate (ALGE) nano-balls(NBs) and nano-tubes(NTs) have been self-assembled from the ALGE precursors having an Al/Ge ratio of 1.33 using simple pH-control. The hollow ALGE NBs with average monodisperse diameters of 5 nm and chemistry of Al/Ge=1.5~1.6 were formed through structural assembly in the ALGE solution (Al/Ge=1.33) highly basified to pH=13(Na/Al=28~30) and followed by immediate acidification to pH=9. When the basified solution(pH=13) were acidified to pH=4, ALGE S-NTs (Short-fiber nano-tubes) with diameters of 3.3 nm, 15~20 nm in length, and chemistry of Al/Ge=2.6~2.8 were successfully synthesized. Whereas the solution was basified to pH=9, and subsequently acidified to pH=4, L-NTs(Long-fiber nano-tubes) with >100 nm in length were synthesized for the first time. The self-assembly of the hollow NBs, S-NTs, and L-NTs form the ALGE precursors can be explained by the degree of $H^+$-dissociation of the -Ge-OH inner surfaces, which was controlled by amount of $Na^+$ and pH conditions of ALGE precursor solutions. This results indicate that target forms of ALGE nanomaterials can be synthesized by simple pH controls.