• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.36-42
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• 2021

Spent lithium-ion batteries are treated by reduction-smelting at high temperatures to recover valuable metals. Solvent extraction and precipitation of the HCl leaching solution of reduction-smelted metallic alloys resulted in a filtrate containing Ni(II) and a small amount of Si(IV). Adsorption and precipitation experiments were conducted to recover pure Ni(II) compounds from the filtrate. Si(IV) was selectively loaded onto polyacrylamide, but this method did not efficiently filter the solution due to an increase in viscosity. The addition of Na₂CO₃ as a precipitant to the filtrate led to the simultaneous precipitation of Ni(II) and Si(IV). However, it was possible to recover nickel oxalate with a purity higher than 99.99% by selectively precipitating Ni(II) with the addition of Na₂C₂O₄ as a precipitant.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.621-631
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• 2018

In this study, catalyst was made through incipient wetness method using palladium (Pd) as noble metal, indium (In) as secondary metal, and montmorillonite (MK10) and Al pillared montmorillonite (Al-MK10) as supporters. The nitrate reduction rate of the catalysts was measured by batch experiments where H2 gas was used as reducing agent and formic acid as pH controller. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were all used to determine the elemental distribution of Pd, In, Al, and Si on catalysts. It was observed that Al pillaring increased the Al/Si elemental composition ratio and point of zero charge of MK10, but decreased its BET specific surface area and pore volume. The nitrate reduction rate of Al-MK10 Pd/In was 2.0 ~ 2.5 times higher than that of MK10 Pd/In using artificial groundwater (GW) in ambient temperature and pressure. Nitrate reduction rates in GW were 1.2 ~ 1.7 times lower than those in distilled deionized water (DDW). Nitrate reduction rates in acidic conditions were higher than those in neutral condition in both GW and DDW. The amount of produced NH3-N over degraded NO3- at acid conditions was lower than that of neutral condition. Even though the leaching of Pd after reaction was measured in DDW it was not detected when both Al-MK10 Pd/In and MK10 Pd/In were used in GW. The modification of montmorillonite as a supporter significantly increased the reductive catalytic activities of nitrates. However, the ratio of producing ammonia by-products to degraded nitrates in ambient temperature and pressure was similar.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.73-80
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• 2022

Reduction smelting of spent lithium-ion batteries at high temperature produces metallic alloys. Following solvent extraction of the leaching solutions of these metallic alloys with either sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, the raffinate is found to contain Ni(II), Co(II), Mn(II), and Si(IV). In this study, two cationic exchange resins (Diphonix and P204) were employed to investigate the loading behavior of these ions from synthetic sulfate and chloride solutions. Experimental results showed that Ni(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) could be selectively loaded onto the Diphonix resin from a sulfate solution of pH 3.0. With a chloride solution of pH 6.0, Mn(II) was selectively loaded onto the P204 resin, leaving Ni(II) and Si(IV) in the effluent. Elution experiments with H₂SO₄ and/or HCl resulted in the complete recovery of metal ions from the loaded resin.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2023

The study is to evaluate the effect of bank protection concrete block products to streams and soils. The effect on three types of bank protection concrete blocks was evaluated.. The first type was manufactured using fly ash, and the second and third type products used fine blast furnace slag powder. The laboratory and field Experiments test results showed the pHs of 9 or less. Also, any heavy metals were not detected in the heavy metal leaching tests. Although some iron (Fe) was partially detected, it still met the water quality standards. In addition, heavy metal was detected from all blocks by the US drinking water evaluation standards method. An on-site water quality and soil contamination tests were performed at the places that the blocks were implemented in practice. The test results showed that the application of the bank protection concrete block product did not lead to the water and soil quality degradation. Therefore, it was found that the hardened bank protection concrete block product did not elute harmful substances such as heavy metals that affect water and soil quality degradation.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2006

This paper describes the cumulative deposition of fallout Pu in soil and lichen at the present time and give the characteristics of fallout Pu deposits in the soil. In the soil of the forest, the accumulated depositions of $^{239,240}Pu$ were estimated to be in the range of 34.0 to $101.2Bq\;m^{-2}$ with an average value of $65.3{\pm}21.6Bq\;m^{-2}$. The average inventory of $^{239,240}Pu$ in the forest was calculated to be two times higher than that in the hill. Also, the deposited activities of $^{239,240}Pu$ in cultivated soil were significantly lower than those in the hill or forest. However, the cumulative depositions of fallout Pu in the volcanic ash soil on Cheju Island were much higher than those in the forest and hill soils. The measured activity concentrations of Pu isotopes in lichens and mosses showed large variations, due to characteristics of species and life span of lichen and moss colonies. From depth profiles, it was found that most of the fallout Pu has been accumulated in upper 10 cm layer of soil. Except for a few cases, the concentrations of $^{239,240}Pu$ in soil tended to decrease exponentially with increasing soil depth. Among parameters affecting the cumulative deposition of fallout Pu, organic substances and rainfall play an important role in the retention and relative mobility of fallout Pu in the soil. However, pH showed a weak correlation with the deposition of fallout Pu in the soil. From sequential leaching experiments, Pu was found to be associated predominantly with the "organic" and "oxy-hydroxy" fractions. Both the activity ratios of $^{238}Pu/^{239,240}Pu$ and $^{241}Pu/^{239,240}Pu$ in soils, lichens and mosses and the atomic ratios of $^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$ in soils are close to those observed in the cumulative deposit global fallout from nuclear weapon testings. The results obtained from this research make it possible to interpret and predict the behavior of fallout Pu under natural conditions.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1B
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• pp.63-71
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• 2009

Riprap filter should be installed around the pier to prevent riprap subsidence due to sediment winnowing or leaching between the riprap and bed layers. However, riprap protection without filters is commonly applied in the field because of ambiguous specifications and technical and economical difficulties to install the filter layer. Therefore, the hydraulic experiments were conducted in this study to measure and analyze the riprap subsidence quantitatively with different conditions for thickness of riprap layer, approached velocity, sizes of riprap and bed material. As the velocity was increased and size of bed material and thickness of riprap layer were decreased, the subsidence was increased. Consequently, the dimensionless riprap subsidence equation was derived using the synthesized experimental results. The results of this study could be employed as a standard criterion or predictor to evaluate the subsidence stability.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.8-19
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• 2008

The physicochemical properties of soils having high uranium content, located around Duckpyungri in Korea, were investigated and the lab scale soil washing experiments to remove uranium from the soil were preformed with several washing solutions and on various washing conditions. SPLP (Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure), TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure), and SEP (Sequential Extraction Procedure) for the soil were conducted and the uranium concentration of the extracted solution in SPLP was higher than Drinking Water Limit of USEPA (30 ${\mu}g$/L), suggesting that the continuous dissolution of uranium from soil by the weak acid rain may generate the environmental pollution around the research area. For the soil washing experiments, the uranium removal efficiency of pH 1 solution for S2 soil was about 80 %, but dramatically decreased as pH of solution was > 2, suggesting that strong acidic solutions are available to remove uranium from the soil. For solutions with 0.1M of HCl and 0.05 M of ${H_2}{SO_4}$, their removal efficiencies at 1 : 1 of soil vs. washing solution ratio were higher than 70%, but the removal efficiencies of acetic acid, and EDTA were below 30%. At 1 : 3 of soil vs. solution, the uranium removal efficiencies of 0.1M HCl, 0.05 M ${H_2}{SO_4}$, and 0.5M citric acid solution increased to 88%, 100%, and 61% respectively. On appropriate washing conditions for S2 soil such as 1 : 3 ratio for the soil vs. solution ratio, 30 minute for washing time, and 2 times continuous washing, TOC (Total Organic Contents) and CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) for S2 soil were measured before/after soil washing and their XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) and XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) results were also compared to investigate the change of soil properties after soil washing. TOC and CEC decreased by 55% and 66%, compared to those initial values of S2 soil, suggesting that the soil reclaimant may need to improve the washed soils for the cultivated plants. Results of XRF and XRD showed that the structural change of soil after soil washing was insignificant and the washed soil will be partially used for the further purpose.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.305-314
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• 2010

The stabilization process using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments was investigated for As contaminated farmland soils around Chonam abandoned mine, Korea. Batch and continuous column experiments were performed to quantify As-immobilization efficiency in soil and the analyses using XRD and SEM/EDS for secondary minerals precipitated in soil were also conducted to understand the mechanism of Asimmobilization by the amendments. For the batch experiment, with 3% of limestone and steel making slag, leaching concentration of As from the contaminated soil decreased by 62% and 52% respectively, compared to that without the amendment. When the mixed amendment (2% of limestone and 1% of steel making slag) was used, As concentration in the effluent solution decreased by 72%, showing that the mixed of limestone and steel making slag has a great capability to immobilize As in the soil. For the continuous column experiments without the amendment, As concentration from the effluent of the column ranged from 50 to $80\;{\mu}g/L$. However, with 2% limestone and 1% steel making slag, more than 80% diminution of As leaching concentration occurred within 1 year and maintained mostly below $10\;{\mu}g/L$. Results from XRD and SEM/EDS analysis for the secondary minerals created from the reaction of the amendments with $As^{+3}$ (arsenite) investigated that portlandite ($Ca(OH)_2$), calcium-arsenite (Ca-As-O) and calcite ($CaCO_3$) were main secondary minerals and the distinct As peaks in the EDS spectra of the secondary minerals can be observed. These findings suggest that the co-precipitation might be the major mechanisms to immobilize As in the soil medium with limestone and steel making slag.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.315-332
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• 2010

All of the water and stone-dust samples with or without flocculant, in and around quarry mines, were analyzed for total concentrations of heavy metals, cyanide(CN), toxic organic compounds and organic phosphorus. Extraction experiments on stone-dust by EDTA and various pH solutions were also carried out, in order to evaluate the contaminant leaching from the long-term heaped stone-dust within quarry mines. The concentrations of $Cr^{6+}$, Hg, CN, TCE/PCE and total phosphorus in all samples (water and stone-dust) were under detection limits, confirming no environmental contamination from stone-dust in quarry mine areas. Lead and cadmium were not detected in all water samples. Copper and zinc were found in some water samples, and arsenic was detected in a few water samples. But they also showed levels much lower than the drinking water standard. Results of the extraction experiments by EDTA and pH solutions showed that Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu and Zn were leached out in less amounts or under detection limits. Arsenic was detected only at pH 3. From above results, we suggested that environmental contamination by quarry mine development is likely to be minor or negligible.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.10-21
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• 2022

In the South Korea, 47% of abandoned mines are suffering from the mining hazards such as the mine drainage (MD), the mine tailings and the waste rocks. Among them the mine drainage which has a low pH and the high concentration of heavy metals can directly contaminate rivers or soil and cause serious damages to human health. The natural/artificial treatment facilities by using neutralizers and coagulants for the mine drainage have been operated in domestic and most of heavy metals in mind drainage are precipitated and removed in the form of metal hydroxide, alumino-silicate or carbonate, generating a large amount of mine drainage treated sludge ('MDS' hereafter) by-product. The MDS has a large surface area and many functional groups, showing high efficiency on the fixation of heavy metals. The purpose of this study is to develop a ingenious heavy metal stabilizer that can effectively stabilize arsenic (As) and heavy metals in soil by recycling the MDS (two types of MDS: the acid mine drainage treated sludge (MMDS) and the coal mine drainage treated sludge (CMDS)). Various analyses, toxicity evaluations, and leaching reduction batch experiments were performed to identify the characteristics of MDS as the stabilizer for soils contaminated with As and heavy metals. As a result of batch experiments, the Pb stabilization efficiency of both of MDSs for soil A was higher than 90% and their Zn stabilization efficiencies were higher than 70%. In the case of soil B and C, which were contaminated with As, their As stabilization efficiencies were higher than 80%. Experimental results suggested that both of MDSs could be successfully applied for the As and heavy metal contaminated soil as the soil stabilizer, because of their low unit price and high stabilization efficiency for As and hevry metals.