• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.44-52
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• 2013

Bioleaching behavior of metal ions for recovery of cobalt and copper from cobalt concentrate was investigated by employing three Aspergillus niger strains. Various factors, such as organic acid generation with fungi type, pH of the culture and pulp density were studied. The results showed that the best fungi for organic acid(citric acid and oxalic acid) generation was A. niger KCTC 6144 using Malt Extract Broth culture at initial pH 3.5. But A. niger KCTC 6985 was more effective for the leaching of cobalt and copper from cobalt concentrate. Our results showed that 82% cobalt and 98% copper was dissolved by A. niger KCTC 6985 at 10g/L pulp density, at pH 3.5 and $24^{\circ}C$ after 15 days incubation.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2010

A fundamental study was carried out to develop a process for recycling tungsten and cobalt from WC-Co hardmetal sludge generated in the manufacturing process of hardmetal tools. The complete extraction of cobalt and simultaneous formation of tungstic was achieved by treating the sludge using aqua regia. The effect of aqua regia concentration, reaction temperature and time, pulp density on cobalt leaching and tungstic acid formation was investigated. The complete leaching of cobalt was attained at the optimum conditions: 100 vol.% aqua regia concentration, $100^{\circ}C$ temperature, 60 min. reaction time and 400 g/L pulp density. A complete conversion of tungsten carbide of the sludge to tungstic acid was however, obtained at the pulp densities lower than 150 g/L under the above condition. The progress of reaction during the aqua regia treatment of the sludge was monitored through the XRD phase identification of the residue. The metallic impurities in the tungstic acid so produced could be further removed as insoluble residues by dissolving the tungsten values in ammonia solution. The ammonium paratungstate($(NH_4)_{10}{\cdot}H_2W_{12}O_{42}{\cdot}4H_2O$) of 99.85% purity was prepared from the ammonium polytungstate solution by the evaporation crystallization method.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.51-60
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• 2010

A study on the recovery of cobalt and lithium from Lithium Ion Battery(LIB) scraps has been carried out by a physical treatment - leaching - solvent extraction process. The cathode scraps of LIB in production were used as a material of this experiment. The best condition for recovering cobalt from the anode scraps was acquired in each process. The cathode scraps are dissolved in 2M sulfuric acid solution with hydrogen peroxide at $95^{\circ}C$, 700 rpm. The cobalt is concentrated from the leaching solution by means of a solvent extraction circuit with bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid(D2EHPA) and PC88A in kerosene, and then cobalt and lithium are recovered as cobalt hydroxide and lithium carbonate by precipitation technology. The purity of cobalt oxide powder was over 99.98% and the average particle size after milling was about 10 lim. The over all recoveries are over 95% for cobalt and lithium. The pilot test of mechanical separation was carried out for the recovery of cobalt from the scraps. The $Co_3O_4$ powder was made by the heat treatment of $Co(OH)_2$ and the average particle size was about 10 ${\mu}m$ after grinding. The recovery was over 99% for cobalt and lithium each other and the purity of cobalt oxide was over 99.98%.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.36-46
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• 2024

We investigated a hydrometallurgical process of nickel recovery from Inconel 713C scrap. The process proceeded with a series of i) comminution of pyrometallurgical treated scrap, ii) sulfuric acid leaching, iii) solvent extraction of unreacted acid, molybdenum, aluminum, and precipitation of chromium, iv) crystallization of nickel sulfate by vacuum evaporation, and v) nickel electrowinning. The nickel-aluminum intermetallic compound, Ni₂Al₃, was formed by the pyrometallurgical pretreatment readily grounded under 75 ㎛. Sulfuric acid leaching was done for 2 hours in 2 mol/L, 20 g/L solid/liquid ratio, and 80 ℃. It revealed that over 98 % of nickel and aluminum was dissolved, whereas 28 % of molybdenum was. A nickel sulfate solution with 2.34 g/L for the crystallization of nickel sulfate hydrate was prepared via solvent extraction and precipitation. Over 99 % of molybdenum and aluminum and 93 % of chromium was removed. Nickel metal with 99.9 % purity was obtained by electrowinning with the nickel sulfate monohydrate in the cell equipped with anion exchange membranes for catholyte pH control. The membrane did not work well, resulting in a low current efficiency of 73.3 %.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.469-480
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• 2003

Laboratory leaching experiment study carried out to estimate a extent of heavy metals that could be leached out when acid rain(pH 5.0-3.0) and strong acidic solution(pH 2.5-1.0) reacted with tailings and contaminated soils from abandoned metal mines. In slightly to moderately acid conditions(pH 5.0-3.0), As, Pb and Zn dissolutions became significantly increased with decreased pH in tailing, while dissolution of these elements was very limited in contaminated soil. These results suggested that moderately acid rainwater leaches Pb, As and Zn from the tailings, while these elements would remain fixed in contaminated soil. In the pH range of 2.5-1.0(strongly acid condition), Zn, Cd and Cu concentrations of leachate rapidly increased with decreased pH in contaminated soil, while Pb, As and Co dissolutions became importantly increased in tailings. The experimental solubility of Zn. Cd and Cu was very low even at very low pH values(up to pH 1), except for CY4(Cheongyang mine). These can result from an incomplete dissolution or the presence of less soluble mineral phases. So, the solubility of heavy metals depends not only on the pH values of leachate but also on the speciation of metals associated with contaminated soils and tailings. The relative mobility of each element within failings at the pH 5.0-3.0 of the reaction solution was in the order of Pb>Zn>Cd>Co=Cu>As. In case of pH 2.5-1.0 of the reaction solution, the relative mobility of each element within contaminated soils and tailings were in the order of Zn＞Cd>Cu>Co>Pb=As for contaminated soils, and Pb>Zn>Cd>hs>Co>Cu for tailings. The obtained results could be useful for assessing the environmental effects and setting up the restoration plan in the areas.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2004

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of geochemical approaches for investigating and assessing heavy metal contamination in abandoned mine sites. Major sources of contaminants at the abandoned mine sites are mine water, waste rocks, tailings, and chemicals used in beneficiation and mineral processing. Soil, sediment, surface and ground water, and ecological system can be contaminated by heavy metals, which are transported due to erosion of mine waste piles, discharge of acid mine drainage and processed water, and dispersion of dust from waste rocks and tailings. The abandoned mine sites should be characterized using various methods including chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis, acid generation prediction tests, leaching/extraction tests, and field tests. Potential and practical environmental impacts from the abandoned mines should be assessed based on the site characterization.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.27-32
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• 1993

A process has been studied to recover gallium from steelmaking dust which had several hundreds ppm of gallium. Aqueous solution containing 38 mg/l gallium was obtained by leaching of dust with 2.25 mol/l sulfuric acid. The leach liquor contained iron and zinc about 1,000 times greater than gallium. Gallium was then concentrated by ion exchanger of chelating resin with functional group of amino carboxylic acid after reduction of ferric ion to ferrous ion and pH adjustment. Gallium was concentrated to be 13 g/l in the resulting eluate by double ion exchanges. The liquor was further treated to remove impurities by solvent extraction technique empolying TOMAC as extractant. The galluim with 99% purity was finally obtainable.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.3-10
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• 2013

Indium is one of the rare metals, and it has been used mainly for preparation of indium tin oxide (ITO). This review investigated the process parameters and the merits and demerits of several methods to recover indium from the leaching solution of secondary resources, such as solvent extraction, ion exchange, and precipitation. D2EHPA has been used mostly as a cationic extractant for indium extraction in moderate acid solutions, while amine extractants are used in strong hydrochloric acid solution. Since the loading capacity of resins for indium is generally small, ion exchange has some advantage over solvent extraction only when the concentration of indium is low.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.449-456
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• 2014

Ternary blends of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PCL) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) were produced with different concentrations of components via melt blending. By leaching the PEO from the samples by water, porous materials were obtained with potential application for bio scaffolds. Sample porosity was evaluated by calculating the ratio of porous scaffold density (${\rho}^*$) to the non-porous material density (${\rho}_s$). Highest porosity (51.42%) was related to the samples containing 50 wt%. of PEO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed the best porosity resulted by decreasing PLLA/PCL ratio at constant concentration of PEO. Crystallization behavior of the ternary blend samples was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results revealed that the crystallinity of PLLA was improved by addition of PEO and PCL to the samples. The porosity plays a key role in governing the compression properties. Mechanical properties are presented by Gibson-Ashby model.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.685-693
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• 1988

From leaching of Korean native halloysite with hot sulfuric acid, active species of siliceous aluminosilicate are obtained as residue, which gives the mole ratio of SiO2/Al2O3 10 and substantially removes most acid-soluble impurities. By dissolving the residue in sodium hydroxide at an ambient temperature sodium silicate solution is prepared, this is used for zeolite synthesis as one of starting materials. In order to prepare zeolite Type 4A thereform, addition of a proper aluminum source is made so that the composition of the reactant materials may be of the following mole ratios : Na2O/SiO2=1.2-1.5, SiO2/Al2O3=1.8-2.0 and H2O/Na2O=34-45 By careful control of ageing time and temperature, subsequent crystal growth is induced into microfine zeolite 4A, which gives optimum particle size distributjion being suitable for detergent builder. The zeolite products thus obtained and highly competitive with those from the use of the refined clay in comparison of their calcium exchange capacity, whiteness and particle size distribution. The present method shows a marginal advantage over the existing procedures requiring neitherseparate purification nor calcinating otherwise necessary for the raw clay ores in use.