• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.538-545
• /
• 2018

It is necessary to develop systematic mine reclamation technology according to mid- and long-term road maps to effectively promote mine reclamation projects. Evaluating the main achievements of the mine reclamation technology according to the first and second-stage roadmaps revealed the necessity of sharing the R&D achievements. In this study, by reviewing the key issues of the third-stage roadmap and considering the major technical needs of in-and-out customers, the strategic development direction of sustainable mine reclamation technology through expanded sharing of R&D achievement was examined.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.695-701
• /
• 2020

This study aimed to monitor a pilot-scale vertical flow reactor (VFR) system being operated in long-term for water quality control of pH-neutral mine drainage containing Fe, Mn and As, discharged in D mine site. The treatment systems of VFR and zero manganese reactor (ZMR) consisted of sand/limestone, and steel slag/limestone, respectively. The systems were operated during about six months in order to evaluate their long-term treatment efficiency It was observed that both pH and alkalinity of mine drainage were remarkably increased and more than 98% of Fe, As and Mn ions was continuously removed during the tested period of time. In conclusion, the field results of this work demonstrated that the vertical flow reactor system can effectively treat mine drainage contaminated by Fe, As and Mn.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.564-575
• /
• 2018

Recently, the possibility of promoting inter-Korean economic cooperation is increasing because the tension between South and North Korea is being reduced. Consequently, the interest in North Korea's mine development projects is growing as one of the aspects of inter-Korean economic cooperation. In the promotion of cooperation in mining development, mine hazard risk management should be considered. However, there is a lack of information pertaining to mine hazards in North Korea. To this end, this study was performed to determine the status of mining-related hazards in 12 mines in North Korea by using the image analysis feature of Google Earth. From the results obtained, we observed some mining-related hazards such as tailing dam failures, yellow boy phenomenon, and land subsidence.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.527-537
• /
• 2018

Column tests of a sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) bioreactor were conducted to determine the design factors for sulfate-rich mine drainage. Various substrates were applied to the bioreactor, including cow manure and its mixture with a mushroom compost, with rice straw and limestone as subsidiary materials. This procedure provided a removal efficiency of up to 82% of the total sulfur with the mixture of cow manure (70%), mushroom compost (10%) and rice straw (20%), and higher efficiencies were observed after 2 days of retention time. In the downflow condition of the flow direction, oxygen supply and re-oxidation of the sulfates occurred, causing a decrease in sulfate removal efficiency. The addition of an inorganic sludge containing heavy metals, which was intended for production of metal-sulfides in the bioreactor, had a negative effect on the long-term operation owing to arsenic release and toxicity to the SRB. The results thus show that a bioreactor using a mixed substrate with cow manure and operating in the downflow direction could reduce sulfates and total dissolved sulfur content; this process confirms the applicability of the SRB bioreactor to sulfate-rich saline drainage.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.11-22
• /
• 2018

Magnetic separators has been used in the mining and the recycling fields in general, and is still applied in wide variety of fields. It is classified into the equipments for separating coarse ferrous scrap from non-ferrous materials and the equipments for concentrating fine ferromagnetic particles below 3mm. Magnetic separation equipments for concentrating fine materials also falls into two categories of low intensity and high intensity magnetic separators. The former is used for ferromagnetic materials but also paramagnetic materials of high magnetic susceptibility, and the latter for paramagnetic materials of lower magnetic susceptibility. Both low and high intensity magnetic separators could be utilized either dry and wet. Recently, the High gradient magnetic separators(HGMS) used in the range of less than 0.7 tesla has been gradually replaced by the magnetic separator made of rare earth permanent magnets commercialized in the 1980s. In addition, the expansion of nanotechnology in terms of synthetic magnetic materials in the environmental and biological fields is expected to contribute positively to the development of magnetic separation technology.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.793-807
• /
• 2020

The policy for Green New Deal will promote the shift of the application to coal as feedstock from coal as fuel. Coal can be used as fuel for production of hydrogen and as feedstock materials such as synthetic graphite or activated carbon. Hydrogen is obtained from syngas produced through Steam carbon(SC), Water-Gas Shift(WGS), and Carbonation reactions, and these processes should be used in conjunction with CO2 sequestration technology. Anthracite has a potential in terms of cost advantage as a feedstock compared to a petroleum pitch, because Synthetic graphite is prepared by heat treating an anthracite with high rank to a graphitization temperature which is in the range of 2400~2800℃, in the presence of inorganic catalyst such as silicon or iron. From several studies, it has been confirmed that coal-based activated carbon(AC) is manufactured with quality similar to the large specific surface area and much micropore volume of lignin-based AC, can be prepared. Therefore it is expected that lignin-based AC is replaced to coal-based AC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.546-552
• /
• 2018

Although there are differences in the history of mining development by country, geographical conditions, and economic status, there are various problems such as water pollution caused by acid mine drainage from past mine development, soil and water pollution caused by mine tailing, and landslides caused by slope failure. Thus, human life is threatened by ground subsidence caused by collapses. Some countries have technology and legal systems that are different from those of others. In countries where mine reclamation is underway, or has to begin, there is a need for institutional arrangements and technical support. Countries trying to start mine reclamation require help from the international community. Technically and institutionally advanced nations need to recover from mine reclamation through cooperation with countries that are beginning to undertake reclamation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.483-494
• /
• 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of reducing clean cover soil using a flooded column test in arsenic-contaminated farmland reclamation of abandoned coal mine area that shows generally low or about worrisome level (25 mg/kg) of Korea soil environment conservation act unlike abandoned metal mine. During the monitoring period of soil solution for 4 months, chemical properties (pH, EC, ORP, Fe, Mn, Ca, and As) in each layer (clean soil cover and contaminated/stabilized soil) showed different variation. This result revealed that soil solution in stabilized or contaminated soil rarely affected that in cover soil. Whether stabilized or not, arsenic concentrations in the rice roots grown in the soil covers with the thickness of 40 cm decreased by 98% in compared with the that grown in the control soil. In case of the soil covers with 20 cm thickness on stabilized soil, it decreased by 80% and this was 22 percentage point higher than when the soil of lower layer was not stabilized. Thus, reducing clean cover soil could be possible in contaminated farmland soil reclamation if appropriate stabilization of contaminated soil is carried.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2019

The feasibility of using hydrated lime ($Ca(OH)_2$) was assessed in reducing soil loss in sloped land under field condition. During 6-month monitoring from May to October, amendment of hydrated lime (3%, w/w) to a test plot decreased soil loss by 76% as compared to the unamended plot. However, the growth of natural vegetation was hampered by hydrated lime addition due to pH increase. Hydrated lime can be used as an effective agent to prevent soil loss in sloped land, but additional treatments are needed to preserve vegetation growth, especially in crop fields.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.393-405
• /
• 2017

This report is intended to be used as a reference in the project being conducted by MIRECO for preventing ground subsidence in mining district. For this purpose, the procedure of the project for preventing ground subsidence mining district was described and cases of design, construction, and study were introduced.