• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.2085-2095
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• 2000

Red mud is generated as a by-product during the production of aluminum hydroxide from bauxite ore. In this study inorganic coagulants were prepared by leaching aluminum and iron from red mud with acids under various operating conditions. The optimum leaching efficiency of Al and Fe was obtained by contacting red mud with acids of 5M $H_2SO_4$ and 9M HCI with the ratio of 1/10(g/mL) at $85^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. In addition. the removal experiments of heavy metal ions($Pb^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Cr^{3+}$), turbidity and phosphate phosphorus($PO_4{^{3-}}-P$) in aqueous solutions were also studied in various experimental conditions. As a result, the developed coagulants are found to show a good removal performance of heavy metal ions. turbidity and phosphate phosphorus in aqueous solutions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.488-494
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• 2009

Zeolite 4A was prepared by new synthesis method, 2-step crystallization, for enhancement of oil absorption capacity. Vietnamese sand and $NaAlO_2$ solution from natural bauxite were used as raw materials in stead of conventional cullet and $Al(OH)_3$ to reduced the processing cost. Some dissolved organics in $NaAlO_2$ solution were removed by activated carbon. Synthetic method was progressed by 1) reacting the raw materials at $55^{\circ}C$, 4 hr with the ratio of Si/Al to 1.15, and 2) reacting at $65^{\circ}C$, 5 hr with reducing the ratio of Si/Al to 0.98. New method can easily control the particle size, aggregation, surface polarity, and enhanced the whiteness of the products. The prepared zeolite 4A shows excellent oil absorption capacity(O.A.C>50 ml/100 g) as well as equal value with calcium ion exchange capacity, and proves the 2-step crystallization is the economic and effective process for the preparation of zeolite 4A.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.297-306
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• 2020

The red mud generated from bauxite during the Bayer alumina production process has been regarded as an industrial waste due to the high alkaline property and high content of Na. Despite of its environmental problem, various studies for recovery of the valuable resources from red mud has been also carried out because of high content (25.7 wt.% as Fe₂O₃ in this study) of iron in red mud. In order to recover the iron resource in the red mud, microwave heating experiments were performed with adding of activated carbon and elemental sulfur to the red mud. Through the microwave heating the powdered red mud mixtures converted to porous and vitrified solid aggregates. The vitrified aggregates produced by microwave heating are composed of goethite, zero valent iron (Fe⁰), pyrrhotite and pyrite. And then, the microwave heating samples were dissolved in the aqua regia solution, and Fe precipitates were obtained as a Fe-chlorides by adding of NaCl salt in the aqua regia solution. The Fe recovery rates in the Fe-chloride precipitates showed differences depending on the experimental mixture conditions, and Fe grades of the end products are 49.0 wt.%, 58.0 wt.% and 59.5 wt.% under mixture conditions of red mud, red mud + activated carbon, and red mud + activated carbon + elemental S, respectively. The Fe content of 56.0 wt.% is generally known as the grade value of Fe in a iron ore for iron production, and the Fe grades of microwave heating samples with adding activated carbon and elemental S in this study are higher than the grade value of 56.0 wt.%.

• Clean Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2002

Red mud is generated as a by-product during the production of aluminum hydroxide from bauxite ore. In this study the red mud coagulants were prepared by reacting 100 ml of 5 M $H_2SO_4$ solution with 10g of red mud at $85^{\circ}C$ or by reacting 100ml of 9M HCl solution with 10g of red mud at $25^{\circ}C$. The prepared red mud coagulants were tested for their coagulation performance of pollutants in the municipal and industrial wastewater. In addition, the coagulation performance was compared with that of a commercially available coagulant ($FeCl_3$). As a result, the red mud coagulants were found to have a good removal efficiency of pollutants in the municipal wastewater (turbidity, phosphate phosphorus) and in the plating wastewater (turbidity, $Pb^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Cr^{3+}$). In the experiment to remove COD in the petrochemical wastewater, the COD removal efficiency by the red mud coagulants was a little poor, but it was better than that by $FeCl_3$.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2016

Background: As new legislation has come into force implementing radiation safety management for the use of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), it is necessary to establish a rapid and accurate measurement technique. Measurement of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ using conventional methods encounter the most significant difficulties for pretreatment (e.g., purification, speciation, and dilution/enrichment) or require time-consuming processes. Therefore, in this study, the applicability of ED-XRF as a non-destructive and rapid screening method was validated for raw materials and by-product samples. Materials and Methods: A series of experiments was conducted to test the applicability for rapid screening of XRF measurement to determine activity of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ based on certified reference materials (e.g., soil, rock, phosphorus rock, bauxite, zircon, and coal ash) and NORM samples commercially used in Korea. Statistical methods were used to compare the analytical results of ED-XRF to those of certified values of certified reference materials (CRM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results and Discussion: Results of the XRF measurement for $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ showed under 20% relative error and standard deviation. The results of the U-test were statistically significant except for the case of U in coal fly ash samples. In addition, analytical results of $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in the raw material and by-product samples using XRF and the analytical results of those using ICP-MS ($R^2{\geq}0.95$) were consistent with each other. Thus, the analytical results rapidly derived using ED-XRF were fairly reliable. Conclusion: Based on the validation results, it can be concluded that the ED-XRF analysis may be applied to rapid screening of radioactivities ($^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$) in NORM samples.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.12-21
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• 2017

Red mud generated in the alumina manufacturing process contains various valuable resources, but it is not comprehensively recycled yet causing severe environmental problems. In Korea, red mud is producing about 200,000 tons annually and most of them are landfilled or disposed. Red mud's recycling technology is also being developed in many countries, but red mud's recycling technologies are still lacking compared to the production rate. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics and the amount of red mud, and the current status and technology development trend. Red mud has shown that recycling studies are being carried out in fields such as construction, recycling, metal recovery, adsorbent, and pollution stabilization. In particular, technologies for recovering rare earths have been developed as worldwide because of their high economic value. The data analyzed in this study will be used as basic data for the further development of technologies in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2011

Some industrial minerals used in domestic industries such as monazite, apatite, bauxite, and ilmenite belong to NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) because they show a high radioactivity. Products, semi-products, wastes, and by-products which show higher radioactivity than NORM belong to TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). Apatite used for manufacturing phosphate fertilizer in Namhae Chemical company belongs to NORM, and its by-product, phospo-gypsum, belongs to TENORM. A geological investigation is needed for the future environmental impact assessment of the Namhae Chemical company's site. According to survey results of the Namhae Chemical company's site, soil mineral composition indicated the mixture of minerals derived from the country rock (quartz, feldspar, mica, $l4{\AA}$ mineral, kaolin and amphibole) and minerals from the gypsum open-air storage yard (gypsum and apatite). Soil samples showed average content of U 4.6 ppm and Th 10 ppm, which are similar to average crustal abundances. They also show average contents of $^{40}K$ 191-1,166 Bq/kg, $^{226}Ra$ 15.6-710 Bq/kg, and $^{232}Th$ 17.4-72.7 Bq/kg, which indicate moderate levels of radio nuclide. But $^{226}Ra$ anomaly in the gypsum open storage yard is clearly confirmed and $^{232}Th$ anomaly is also confirmed in the east road side of the factory and nearby mountain areas. Soil external hazard indices ranged 0.24-2.01 with the average 0.54. Although most external hazard indices were lower than 1, which means radiation hazard index to be negligible, 5 samples out of total 40 samples showed higher values than 1, and further detailed investigation is needed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.217-228
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• 2011

The feasibility study for the stabilization process using 5 amendments was performed to quantify As-immobilization efficiency in farmland soils around Samkwang abandoned mine, Korea. For the batch experiments, with 2% and 3% of granular lime(2-5 mm in diameter), leaching concentration of As from the soil decreased by 86% and 95% respectively, compared to that without the amendment. When 5% and 10% of granular limestone was added in the soil, As concentration decreased by 82% and 95%, showing that lime and limestone has a great capability to immobilize As in the soil. From the results of batch experiments, continuous column(15 cm in dimeter and 100 cm in length) tests using granular lime and limestone as amendments was performed. Without the amendment, As concentration from the effluent of the column ranged from 167 ${\mu}g$/L to 845 ${\mu}g$/L, which were higher than Korea Drinking Water Limit(50 ${\mu}g$/L). However, only with 1% and 2% of lime, As concentration from the column dramatically decreased by 97% for 9 years rainfall and maintained below 50 ${\mu}g$/L. With 5% of limestone and the mixed amendment(1% of lime + 2% of limestone), more than 95% diminution of As leaching from the column occurred within I year rainfall and maintained below 20 ${\mu}g$/L, suggesting that the capability of limestone to immobilize As in the farmland soil was outstanding and similar to that of lime. Results of experiments suggested that As stabilization process using limestone could be more available to immobilize As from the soil than using lime because of low pH increase and thus less harmful side effect.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.241-259
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• 2022

In general, the REE were produced by mining conventional deposits, such as the carbonatite or the clay-hosted REE deposits. However, because of the recent demand increase for REE in modern industries, unconventional REE deposits emerged as a necessary research topic. Among the unconventional REE recovery methods, the REE-bearing coal deposits are recently receiving attentions. R-types generally have detrital originations from the bauxite deposits, and show LREE enriched REE patterns. Tuffaceous-types are formed by syngenetic volcanic activities and following input of volcanic ash into the basin. This type shows specific occurrence of the detrital volcanic ash-driven minerals and the authigenic phosphorous minerals focused at narrow horizon between coal seams and tonstein layers. REE patterns of tuffaceous-types show flat shape in general. Hydrothermal-types can be formed by epigenetic inflow of REE originated from granitic intrusions. Occurrence of the authigenic halogen-bearing phosphorous minerals and the water-bearing minerals are the specific characteristics of this type. They generally show HREE enriched REE patterns. Each type of REE-bearing coal deposits may occur by independent genesis, but most of REE-bearing coal deposits with high REE concentrations have multiple genesis. For the case of the US, the rare earth oxides (REO) with high purity has been produced from REE-bearing coals and their byproducts in pilot plants from 2018. Their goal is to supply about 7% of national REE demand. For the coal deposits in Korea, lignite layers found in Gyungju-Yeongil coal fields shows coexistence of tuff layers and coal seams. They are also based in Tertiary basins, and low affection from compaction and coalification might resulted into high-REE tuffaceous-type coal deposits. Thus, detailed geologic researches and explorations for domestic coal deposits are required.