• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2021

The analysis of ⁴¹Ca in concrete generated from the nuclear facilities decommissioning is critical for ensuring the safe management of radioactive waste. An analytical method for the determination of ⁴¹Ca in concrete is described. ⁴¹Ca is a neutron-activated long radionuclide, and hence, for accurate analysis, it is necessary to completely extract Ca from the concrete sample where it exists as the predominant element. The decomposition methods employed were the acid leaching, microwave digestion, and alkali fusion. A comparison of the results indicated that the alkali fusion is the most suitable way for the separation of Ca from the concrete sample. Several processes of hydroxide and carbonate precipitation were employed to separate ⁴¹Ca from interferences. The method relies on the differences in the solubility of the generated products. The behavior of Ca and the interfering elements such as Fe, Ni, Co, Eu, Ba, and Sr is examined at each separation step. The purified ⁴¹Ca was measured by a liquid scintillation counter, and the quench curve and counting efficiency were determined by using a certified reference material of known ⁴¹Ca activity. The recoveries in this study ranged from 56 to 68%, and the minimum detectable activity was 50 mBq g^-1 with 0.5 g of concrete sample.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2012

We measured various geochemical parameters, including the grain size, loss on ignition(LOI), total organic carbon(TOC), total nitrogen(TN), total sulfur(TS) and metallic elements, in surface sediment collected from 19 stations in Gamak Bay in April 2010 in order to understand the sedimentary types, the origin of organic matters, and the distribution patterns of alkali(Li, Na, K, Rb) and alkaline earth(Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) elements. The surface sediments were mainly composed of mud. The concentrations of Chlorophyll-a, TOC, TN, TS and LOI in sediment were the highest at the cultivation areas of fish and shellfish in the northern and southern parts of the bay. The redox potential(or oxidation-reduction potential) showed the positive value in the middle part of the bay, indicating that the surface sediment is under oxidized condition. The organic materials in sediment at almost all of stations were characterized by the autochthonous origin. Based on the overall distributions of metallic elements, it appears that the concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth elements except Ba in sediment are mainly influenced by the dilution effect of quartz. The concentrations of Sr and Ba are also dependent on the secondary factors such as the effect of calcium carbonate and the redox potential.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the crust and consists of three stable isotopes, 28Si (92.23%), 29Si (4.67%), and 30Si (3.10%). Si isotopes are widely studied worldwide as a proxy for the biogeochemical cycle of Si to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate. However, in Korea, there have been no studies on biogenic silica using Si isotopes. In this study, we carried out Si isotope measurements of giant diatoms, summarizing the previously reported alkali fusion methods and establishing the best Si separation method for biogenic silica. Samples were completely digested using alkali fusion at high temperatures, effectively separating Si using an AG® 50W-X8 cation exchange resin. To evaluate the precision and accuracy of our measurements, Si isotope standard material (NBS-28) and USGS reference materials (AGV-2, GSP-2, BHVO-2) were analyzed. The results are in excellent agreement with the reported values within the acceptable error. The Si isotope measurement method developed in this study is expected to help in understanding the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment by tracing the Si cycle.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.57-70
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• 1999

The volcanic rocks of Ulleungdo reveal very high alkali element abundances and most of them have high K20/Na20 ratios and belong to potassium-series. Ulleungdo volcanics show very wide range of variation in their composition from basalts to trachytic basalt, basaltic trachyandesite, trachyandesite, and finally to trachyte on total alkali-silica diagram. Such a general trend of compositional variation can be explained well by differentiation due to fractional crystallization of various minerals. Olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite, and apatite are suggested as the major fractionated minerals. Ulleungdo volcanics show Nb/U and PbICe ratios similar to oceanic volcanics such as MORB and OIB, but significantly different .from volcanic rocks of island arc environments, which suggest that they are not directly related with subduction along the Japanese arc. LREE abundances of Ulleungdo volcanics are highly enriched compared with HREE abundances ((La)N=193-420, (L~)~=7.5-19.5).O nly trachyte-1 show appreciable negative Eu anomalies among various rock types, which suggests significant amount of plagioclase were fractionated. However, trachyte-2, trachyte-3, phonolite, and pumice reveal quite different variation trend of trace and rare earth element abundances from trachyte-1, which suggest that they have originated from different magma batches and have experienced different differentiation processes. A prominent bimodal distribution, thus lacking of intermediate composition, is observed from the Ulleundo volcanics.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.395-415
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• 2001

In the Singok area, western part of Chungcheongnam-Do, two ultramafic ma~ses, Singok mass and Kaewol mass, occur as isolated lenticular bodies in the Precambrian Kyeonggi gneiss complex. The masses extend for several hundred meter to NNE direction, parallel to the main fault line of this area. The rocks are dunite and harzburgite, but partially and absolutely serpentinized. They dominantly show porphyroclastic and recrystallized textures with equigranular-mosaic and protogranular textures. In spite of differences among the alteration and metamorphism, the ultramafic masses are characterized by varying amounts of high fosteritic olivine ($Fo_{0.88-0.93}$), magnesian pyroxene ($En_{0.93-0.97}$), and tremolitic to tschermakitic hornblende with minor spinel, serpentine, chlorite, calcite, magnetite, phlogopite and talc. It is compared with adjacent gneiss complex containing amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, alkali-feldspar and quartz. Geochemically, these rocks show high magnesium number (Mg>90.38), and transitional element (Ni=595-2480, Cr==IOlO-4400, Co=36-120 ppm), low alkali element ($Na_{2}O$<0.3, $K_{2}O$<0.11, $Al_{2}O_3$<2.95 wt%) and depleted incompatible element contents, which is compared with adjacent rocks (Mg < 83.69, $Na_{2}O$=1.02-3.42 wt%, $K_{2}O$=O.67-5.65 wt%, $Al_{2}O_3$=9.15-16.86 wt%, Ni < 435 ppm, Cr < 1440 ppm, Co<59 ppm, enriched incompatible element contents). Overall characteristics of ultramafic rocks from the Singok and Kaewol masses are similar to the those of adjacent ultramafic bodies in Chungnam with worldwide orogenic related Alpine type ultramalic rocks. Calculated geothermometries suggest that the ultramafic rocks have experienced metamorphism in the condition ranging from the greenschist facies to granulite facies.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2007

Hexavalent chromium-contaminated soils are encounted at many unregulated discharge and improper handling of wastes from electroplating, leather tanning, steelmaking, corrosion control, and wood preservation industries. Contamination of hexavalent chromium in the soil is a major concern because of its toxicity and threat to human life and environment. Current technologies for hexavalent chromium-contaminated soil remediation are usually costly and/or cannot permanently prohibit the toxic element from entering into the biosphere. Thus, as an alternative technique, immobilization is seen as a cost-effective and promising remediation technology that may reduce the leachable potential of hexavalent chromium. The purpose of this paper is to develope an immobilization technique for the formation of the geochemically stabilized hexavalent chromium-contaminated soil from the reactions of labile soil hexavalent chromium forms with the added soluble phosphate and chromium reducing agent. From the liquid phase experiment, reaction order of chromium reducing agent, soluble phosphate, alkali solution shows the best removal efficiency of 95%. In addition, actual soil phase experiment demonstrates up to 97.9% removal efficiency with 1:1 molar ratio of chromium reducing agent and soluble phosphate. These results provide evidence for the potential use of soluble phosphate and chromium reducing agent for the hexavalent chromium-contaminated soil remediation.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.386-390
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• 2009

Niobium(Nb) and Tantalum(Ta) are rarely found apart in nature and never in the free state. The element niobium amounts to 3% of the crustal abundance. On the whole, the niobium capacitor showed somewhat more unstable characteristics than the commercial tantalum capacitors, but is nonetheless considered applicable as a future substitute for tantalum capacitors. In this study, niobium powder was made from potassium heptafluoroniobite($K_2NbF_7$) by using sodium(Na) as a reductant and KCl and KF as diluents based on the hunter sodiothermic reduction method.,In order to obtain a high surface area niobium powder via the sodiothermic reduction method, a certain amount of diluent, such as alkali metal halides selected from NaCl, KCl, KF and NaF, was added in the raw materials to be reduced. However, if a higher surface area of powder is required, more diluents need to be used in the said method in order to produce niobium powder. But when more diluents are used, the niobium powder will be contaminated with more impurities and the yield will also decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.394-401
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• 2014

In order to minimize a building energy consumption with ventilation, a development of smart ventilation system is very important. In this study, a dry adsorbent that is main element of smart ventilation system was developed for removing indoor $CO_2$, and evaluate the adsorption performance. Specific surface area, pore characteristic and crystal structure of the modified sorbent was measured to analyze physical properties. From this analysis, it was found that the developed absorbent has a low specific surface area, due to mesopores of substrate was filled with metal contained raw material. Additionally, through analysis of the adsorption properties, the developed adsorbent was shown a adsorption form of mesopore (type IV), which means adsorption amount was rapidly increased at the part of high-pressure. Order to applying for the field, chamber test was performed. Continuous column tests (2,500 ppm) and batch chamber tests ($4m^3$, 5,000 ppm) showed $CO_2$ removal efficiency of 95% and 88% within 1 hour, respectively.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-48
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• 1995

The Jurassic Kwanaksan stock, so far known to be composed of biotite granite only, has the mineral assemblage of quartz+K-feldspar+plagioclase+biotite${\pm}$gernet. The lithology of the stock is classified as alkali feldspar granite by their mode and plagioclase compositions (An<5). Subsolvus feldspars, rather early crystallization of biotite, and shallow emplacement depth estimated from Q-Ab-Or diagram suggest hydrous nature of the magma, which contrasts with anhydrous A-type like geochemistry described below. Major and trace element compositions of the Kwanaksan stock are distinct from those of the adjacent Seoul batholith, suggesting a genetic difference between the two, The Kwanaksan stock shows geochemical characteristics similar to A-type granite in contrast to most other Mesozoic granites in Korea, in that it has high $SiO_2$(73~78wt%), $Na_2O+K_2O$, Ga(27~47 ppm). Nb(22~40 ppm), Y(48~95 ppm), Fe/Mg and Ga/Al, and low CaO(<0.51 wt%). Ba (8~75 ppm) and Sr(2~23 ppm). However, it has lower Zr and LREE and higher Rb(384~796 ppm) than typical A-type granite. LREE-depleted rare earth element pattern with strong negative Eu anomaly of previous studies is reinterpreted as representing source magma characteristics. The residual material during partial melting is not compatible with pyroxenes, amphibole or garnet, while significant amount of plagioclase is required. Similarity of geochemistry of the Kwanaksan stock to A-type granite suggests the origin of the stock has a chose relationship with that of A-type granite. These observations lead us to propose that the Kwanaksan stock was formed by partial melting of felsic source rock.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2015

Using laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), we evaluated the reliability of trace element abundance data measured from the silicate rock references of JR-3, JG-3, JGb-1 and JB-1b using glass discs made by alkali fusion. For 28 elements including rare earth elements, relative standard deviations (RSD) are better than 7% in case when the concentrations of the elements in the rock samples are greater than 10 ppm. However, RSD shows somewhat increased values for the concentrations less than 10 ppm, but never exceeds 25%. Compared with previously reported averages of the compiled abundance data, our data display satisfactory results for the most cases with differences less than 10%. We suggest that LA-ICP-MS analysis using fused glass beads is a reliable, precise and time-saving method of trace element analysis for the silicate rocks spanning from mafic to felsic compositions.