• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.361-374
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• 2007

Rare earth elements(REEs) have been used as an useful tool in understanding the various geological processes such as evolution and differentiation in the crust. The REEs also have been used as an analog of actinides for radioactive wastes at the water-rock interactions. Using physicochemical properties of the REEs and actinides, we have shown that Eu is an optimum analogue for understanding the behavior of Am in subsurface environments. Factors affecting sorption behavior of radioactive nuclides in groundwater were investigated by batch experiments. Four nuclides such as $^{241}Am,\;^{152}Eu,\;^{160}Tb\;and\;^{60}Co$ were selected to test our hypothesis, and $^{160}Tb$ and $^{60}Co$ were specifically used to compare to the sorption behavior between $^{241}Am-^{152}Eu$ and other radioactive nuclides. Four different rock samples and one groundwater were used in the batch experiments where solution pH for all experiments was fixed at 5.5. Our results demonstrate that $^{241}Am,\;^{152}Eu,\;and\;^{160}Tb$ show similar sorption behavior whereas $^{60}Co$ is different in sorption behavior at the mineral-water interface, suggesting that the sorption behavior of $^{60}Co$ is affected by different rock types. Our results also show that 1) Eu in REEs is optimum analogue of fate and transport of Am in subsurface environments, and 2) mineral compositions such as $SiO_2,\;TiO_2,\;P_2O_5$ and distribution of REEs such as Eu anomaly play key roles in affecting sorption behavior of radioactive nuclides even though physicochemical properties of geological materials such as specific surface area and cation exchange capacity can not be ruled out.

• Mineral and Industry
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• v.23
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• pp.26-31
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• 2010

희토류 정광으로부터 첨단산업 원료소재로 수요가 급증하고 있는 고순도 희토류 소재를 제조하기 위한 가장 첫 공정은 침출공정이다. 즉, 희토류 정광으로부터 원소별 희토류 성분을 분리하기 위해서는 용액상태로 전환이 필요한데, 이때 일반적인 산 및 알카리 용액에는 희토류 성분은 침출이 되지 않으므로 강산 또는 강 알카리 조건에서 희토류 정광을 침출 가능한 형태로 변환 시켜주는 분해공정이 선행되며 이후 산 침출에 의해 희토류 성분을 침출하게 된다. 본 고에서는 대표적인 희토류 광물인 모나자이트와 바스트나사이트, 그리고 이 광물의 혼합물 형태로 생산되는 혼합광물에 대한 분해 및 침출공정을 소개하고자 한다.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.337-349
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• 2014

We measured rare earth element and Zr concentrations of USGS granite standard material GSP-2 and GSJ granite standard material JG-1a to clarify the effect of zircon during rare earth element analysis using ICP-MS. We also measured rare-earth element and zirconium (Zr) contents of zircon from granite by acid-digestion methods using conventional teflon vial and pressure-bomb. The results show that acid-digestion using teflon vial dissolved ca. 50% of zircon compared to pressure-bomb method. The Zr contents of JG-1a and GSP-2 gave ca 50% of reference value. However, rare-earth element abundance of JG-1a and GSP-2 were similar to those of reference values. This suggests that the decomposition degree of zircon might give a negligible effect on a petrological and geochemical interpretation using chondritenormalized REE pattern.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.303-311
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• 2022

Gadolinium, commonly used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is discharged into aquatic environments without removal after treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) because of its high stability. In this study, we collected water samples from Suyeong WWTP, Busan, to investigate the dissolved rare earth element (REE) removal capacity of each wastewater treatment process and to evaluate the discharge of anthropogenic Gd (Gd_anth) from effluents. As wastewater passed through each stage of treatment, the concentrations of light REEs (La-Eu) decreased, whereas those of heavy REEs (Tb-Lu) were relatively consistent. Negative Sm anomalies (<1) were observed in several samples, indicating that Sm can be removed by adsorption onto particles or phosphate during the biological removal process. Positive Gd anomalies (149±50, n=9) were observed in all samples. The ratios of Gd_anth concentrations to measured Gd concentrations in all wastewater treatment processes were higher than 97%. This indicates that Gd_anth was discharged to the Suyeong River without removal during the wastewater treatment process. Considering the daily treatment capacity in each process, the total flux of Gd_anth was estimated to be 259 mmol/day. Our results suggest that mid- and/or long-term monitoring of Gd is needed because Gd_anth is continuously discharged into Suyeong Bay through WWTPs.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3 s.41
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• pp.127-140
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• 2005

The Samyuri area of Jeoksang-myeon, Muju-gun at the Middle Yeongnam Massif consists of granitic gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss and leucocratic gneiss, which correspond to Precambrian Wonnam Series. Here we discuss a geochemical implication of the data based on major element composition, trace element, rare earth element (REE), Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope systematics of the boring cores in the granite gneiss area. The boring cores are granitic gneiss (including biotite gneiss) and amphibolite. The major and trace element compositions of granitic gneiss and amphibolite suggest that the protolith belongs to TTG (Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite) and tholeiitic series, respectively. Chondrte-normalized REE patterns vary in LREE, HREE and Eu anomalies. The granitic gneiss and amphibolite have Sm-Nd whole rock age of $2,026{\pm}230(2{\sigma})$ Ma with an initial Nd isotopic ratio of $0.50979{\pm}0.00028(2{\sigma})$ (initial ${\epsilon}_{Nd}=-4.4$), which suggests that the source material was derived from old crustal material. Particularly, this initial ${\epsilon}$ Nd value belongs to the range of the geochemical evolution of Archean basement in North-China Craton, and also corresponds to the initial Nd isotope evolution line by Lee et al. (2005). In addition, chondrite-normalized REE pattern and initial Nd value of amphibolite are very similar to those of juvenile magma in crustal formation process.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.496-502
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• 1993

Spectrophotometric determination of rare earth elements with MTB and the composition ratio were investigated in the presence of surfactants of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), Triton X-100, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTMAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) at pH 6.5. The colour development between MTB and rare earths in the presence of cationic surfactants was very stable and more sensitive than that in the absence of surfactants. The largest absorbance increase was provided by CPC, which was therefore chosen for determination of rare earth elements. REE-MTB-CPC complex has absorption maxima at 650 nm and obeys the Beer's law in the range of 0∼100 ng/ml. Molar absorptivity is $6.6{\sim}9.4{\times}10^4\;mol^{-1}l\;cm^{-1}$.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.538-547
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• 1986

The 8 rare earth elements were determined in the monazite concentrates by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The spectral line overlapping interferences from the other elements were investigated and the correction methods of interferences were studied using line overlap coefficients. The coefficients were calculated from the ratios of the intensities measured at the diffracted angle (2${\theta}$) of the analytical lines of other elements to the intensity of pure rare earth oxide. The coefficients were used to correct the line overlaps by a regression analysis. The linearities of calibration curves from the corrected intensities were remarkably improved, and their standard deviations were decreased. The analytical results agreed with that of the inductively coupled plasma(ICP) spectrometry within an allowable error range.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 1995

To analyze mixed rare earth elements quantitatively a nonlinear fitting method was applied to laser induced fluorescence signals. Mixed flourescence signal of two elements, Sm and Eu were resolved independently and determined the concentration of these two elements simultaneously. It was found that detection limit for each element in the mixture was sub-ppb level which was the same as that of the single element sample. Additionally it was found that lifetimes of Sm and Eu extracted from the nonlinear fitting method is the same as in the single element cases.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.800-808
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• 2005

Elemental mobility during the weathering of granite in the Gwangju Hyangdeung area was investigated using ICP-MS analysis. It appeared that Al, Fe, Ti, K were lost from the profile, whereas Si, Ca, Na Mg, P and Mn were immobile during chemical weathering. In less weathered soil, large enrichment of K and Ti were found relative to Al, whereas other elements such as Si, Ca, Na, Mg and P are deplete. Fe content is constant throughout the weathered profiles. Amounts of Rb, Sr, Y, Cs, Pb, Th and U increased toward the surface. Nb, and Co have accumulated in the deepest parts of the weathered soil profile. These results agree with similar published studies. In addition, the analytical data shows that Ba and Ga increased, while Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni were relatively constant in this area. REE tend to increase in most samples, while LREEs, relative to Al, were enriched in the lower and upper saprolite. HREEs were enriched in the lower and upper saprolite.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.203-206
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• 2004