• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.47-52
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• 2017

The concentrate of lepidolite, being treated by heavy medium separation (HMS), was ground with calcium sulphate hemihydrate (CSH, $CaSO_4{\cdot}1/2H_2O$) to investigate the mechanochemical effect for the Li leachability in water. This leachability increased, dramatically through the intensive grinding for the mixture, concentrate and CSH. The leachability of Li was improved from 4.48% to 93.5%. The grinding of the mixture destructed the crystal structure of the concentrate, and it might be formed to new compounds. As the result, Li in the concentrate can be extracted by water leaching at room temperature.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2018

It is reported that Li-bearing minerals regarding as a promising battery industrial commodity occur in the Mogok metamorphic belt, Myanmar. Preliminary considerations on the mineralization of pegmatite occurrences within Mogok metamorphic belt such as Singu, Mogok and Momeik are as follows. In Singu area, lepidolite and rubellite occur together (Letpanhla No. 2 & 7 pegmatite) while rubellite only occur (Letpanhla No. 4 pegmatite). In Mogok area, lepidolite and rubellite occur together (Sakangyi pegmatite). In Momeik area, lepidolite and rubellite occur together (Pheyeou pegmatite) while rubellite only occur (Khetchel Ywar Thit pegmatite). In the future, it is estimated that it is necessary to implement the detailed exploration for the resource evaluation of lithium-bearing mineral targeted for the pegmatite of Mogok metamorphic belt.

• Mineral and Industry
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• v.25
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

In this present work, the froth flotation of lithium ore from Boam mine located in Wooljin, Kyungbuk has been carried out to produce high-grade lithium concentrate. The sample ore-Lepidolite mainly contained silicate mineral (quartz, muscovite) and calcite. In consequences of the experiment, it has been possible to obtain relatively high-grade lithium while using anionic acid (oleic acid) to remove calcite before the froth flotation for lithium concentrate. Among the amines collectors (Armac-T, Armac-C, Armafloat-18, Armafloat-1597), Armac-T has been relatively effective than another ones. Under the optimum condition (collector : Armac-T 100g/t, frother : AF65 50g/t, depressants : $Na_2SiO_3$ 600g/t and Lactic acid 100g/t, pulp density : 20%, pH 5.5, number of cleaning : 2), it has been obtained relatively high-grade lithium concentrate ($Li_2O$) with recovery of 80.3% and with grade of 4.33%.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2015

Li-bearing muscovite is commonly found along with trioctahedral lepidolite in granitic pegmatites. Structurally, $Li^+$ ions can replace $K^+$ ions in the interlayer (Int) of muscovite or incorporate into vacancies of the dioctahedral sheet (Sub). However, detailed mechanism of the lithium incorporation into muscovite is challenging to investigate using experimental techniques alone. In the current study, density functional theory (DFT) has been applied to examine the crystal structure and energy variation when $Li^+$ resides in the interlayer or the octahedral sheet. Depending on the position of $Li^+$ (i.e., Int vs. Sub), DFT showed significant differences in the mica's structures such as lattice parameters, sheet thickness, interlayer separation, and OH angles with respect to the ab plane. DFT further showed that, in pure muscovite, $Li^+$ has a lower energy when it is located in Int than Sub. By contrast, in the case of $Fe^{2+}$ substitution into the octahedral sheet, $Li^+$ has a lower energy in Sub than in Int. These results imply that $Li^+$ incorporates into the Al octahedral sheets only when the octahedral sheets possess structural charges, suggesting cation substitution in the octahedral sheets plays an important role in the Li incorporation mechanism into muscovite. They can also explain the experimental observation about the positive relationship between $Fe^{2+}$ and $Li^+$ amounts in Li-bearing muscovite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.263-272
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• 2013

The Taebaegsan region and its vicinities mainly consist of Precambrian granitic gneisses and Cambrian meta-sedimentary rocks. And lots of leucocratic(alkali) granites smaller than the stocks are found here and there. Therefore the presence of leuco-granites is not properly described yet in the former studies. For the effective distinction of several granitic rocks, outcrop characteristics, mineral identification, and petro-chemical properties were studied. Some part of granitc gneisses could be classified into typical metamorphic rocks such as migmatites and banded gneisses. And some shows rather dark appearance with gray quartz and feldspars, and others two mica granites, leucocratic ones etc. But all of leucocratic granites of the region usually show bright milky white to beige color. Since they mainly consist of quartz, feldspars, muscovite, and small amounts of sericites, amphiboles, tourmaline and lepidolite. And all of alkali granites belong to the calc-alkalic, peraluminous and S-type in character. During magmatic differentiation of leucocratic granites, CaO and total Fe contents are clearly decreased than those of the older granitic rocks. On the other hand, magmatic evolution also had induced the greisenization and albitization which enriched the relative amounts of alkali elements such as $K_2O$ and $Na_2O$.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.3-8
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• 2023

This study discussed production, demand, and future prospects of rubidium, which is an alkali group metal that is highly reactive to various media and requires carefulness in handling, but no significant environmental hazard of rubidium has been reported yet. Rubidium is used in various fields such as optoelectronic equipment, biomedical, and chemical industries. Because of difficulty in production as well as limited demand, the transaction price of rubidium is relatively high, but its detail information such as market status and potential growth is uncertain. However, if the mass production of versatile ultra-high-performance equipment such as quantum computers and the necessity of rubidium use in the equipment are confirmed, there is a possibility that the rubidium market will expand in the future. Rubidium is often found together with lithium, beryllium, and cesium, and may be present in granite containing minerals such as lepidolite and pollucite, as well as in seawater and industrial waste. Several technologies such as acid leaching, roasting, solvent extraction, and adsorption are used to recover rubidium. The maximum recovery efficiency of the rubidium from the sources and the processing above is generally high, but, in many practices, rubidium is not the main recovery target, and therefore the actual recovery effects should depend on presence of other valuable components or impurities, together with recovery costs, energy consumption, environmental issues, etc. In conclusion, although the current production and consumption of rubidium are limited, with consideration of the possible market fluctuations according to the emergence of large-scale demand sources, etc., further investigations by related institutions should be necessary.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 1984

The tin and tungsten deposits are embedded around the age unknown Buncheon granite gneiss which intruded the Precambrian schists, gneiss and amphibolites in Bonghwa-Uljin area. Pegmatite dike swarm developed intermittently about 4km along the southern border of Buncheon granite gneiss at Wangpiri area. Thickness of pegmatite dikes range from 0.5 to 15m. Pegmetite is consisted of quartz, microcline, albite, muscovite and frequently topaz, tourmaline, garnet, fluorite, fluorapatite and lepidolite. Pegmatite dikes are greisenized, albitized and microclinized along dike walls. Cassiterites are irregularly disseminated through the intensely greienized and albitized parts of the pegmatite. Cassiterite crystals are mainly black to dark brown and contain considerable Ta and Nb. Average Ta and Nb contents of the four cassiterite samples are 5300 and 3400 ppm. The Ssangjeon tungsten deposits is embedded within the pegmatite dike developed along the northern contact of Buncheon granite gneiss with amphibolite. This pegmatite developed 2km along the strike and thickness varies from 10 to 40m. Mineral constituents of the pegmatite are quartz, microcline, plagioclase, muscovite, biotite, tourmaline and garnet. Ore minerals are ferberite and scheelite with minor amount of molybdenite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, pentlandite, bismuthinite, marcasite, and fluorite. Color and occurrence of quartz reveals that quartz formed at three different stages; quartz I, the earliest milky white quartz formed as a rock forming mineral of simple pegmatite; quartz II, gray to dark gray quartz which replace the minerals associated with quartz I; quartz III, the latest white translucent quartz which replace the quartz I and H. All of the ore minerals are precipitated during the quartz II stage. Fluid inclusion in quartz I and II are mainly gaseous inclusions and liquid inclusions are contained in quartz III and fluorite. Salinities of the inclusion in quartz I and II ranges from 4.5 to 9.5 wt. % and 5.1 to 6.0 wi. % equivalent NaCl respectively. Salinities of the inclusion in fluorite range from 3.5 to 8.3 wt. % equivalent NaCl. Homogenization temperatures of the inclusion in quartz I, II and III range from 415 to $465^{\circ}C$, from 397 to $441^{\circ}C$ and 278 to $357^{\circ}C$. Data gathered in this study reveals that tin and tungsten mineralization in this area are one of prolonged event after the pegmatite formation around Buncheon granite gneiss.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.375-390
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• 2013

The Kenticha rare-element (Ta-Li-Nb-Be) mineralized zone is located in ophiolitic fold and thrust complex of southern Ethiopia and was firstly discovered by joint exploration program of Ethiopia-Soviet in 1980s. It includes Dermidama, Kilkele, Shuni Hill, Kenticha, and Bupo pegmatites from south to north. The Kenticha pegmatite intruded parallel to NS-striking serpentinite and talc-chlorite schist, and is exposed approximately 2 km length and 400-700 m width. The Kenticha pegmatite is internally zoned and subdivided into lower quartz-muscovite-albite granite, intermediate muscovite-quartz-albite-microcline pegmatite, and upper spodumene-quartz-albite pegmatite, based on their mineral assemblage. The major, trace elements (e.g., Rb, Li, Nb, Ta, and Ga), and element ratios (e.g., K/Rb, Nb/Ta, Mg/Li, and Al/Ga) suggest that the fractionation and solidification of pegmatite have progressed from the lower towards upper pegmatite. In contrast, unlike general magmatic fractionation, Mg/Li ratios of the Kenticha pegmatite tend to be increased towards the upper pegmatite. It may result from post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration and/or interaction with upper ultramafic rock. Rare-element mineralization in Kenticha pegmatite concentrates on the upper pegmatite, which contains up to 3.0 wt % $Li_2O$, 3,780 ppm Rb, 111 ppm Cs, 1,320 ppm Ta, and 332 ppm Nb. Ore minerals in Kenticha pegmatite mostly include tantalite, spodumene, and lepidolite, and tantalite has an association with coarser quartz-spodumene and relatively fine sacchroidal albite. The tantalite is classified into Mn-tantalite as a function of $Mn^*[Mn/(Mn+Fe)]$ and $Ta^*[Ta/(Ta+Nb)]$ values. Its compositions ($Mn^*$, $Ta^*$, and Nb/Ta) between coarse and fine tantalites are different and the former is strongly enriched in Ta and depleted in Nb compared to latter one. In conclusion, rare-element mineralization in the Kenticha pegmatite may has occurred in the latest stage of magmatic fractionation.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.167-177
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• 2016

Smectitic clays, occurring in Kırka and Bigadiç boron evaporite deposits formed in Miocene playa lake environment in Turkey, contain $LiO_2$ 0.02-0.21% and 0.16-0.30%, respectively, and boron tailings are also reported to contain $LiO_2$ 0.04-0.26%. Lithium in smectitic clays was identified to be retained in hectorite. The XRD results revealed that hectorite was contained in 25.7% and 79.7% of Kırka and Bigadiç deposit samples respectively. In this study, we selected a clay sample from each deposit with lithium content of ~0.18% and estimated extractable lithium by acid treatment and roasting method commercially applicable to lithium resources, such as lepidolite and hectorite. When 1 g of crushed clay (particle size less than $74{\mu}m$) was reacted with 200 mL of 0.25 M HCl solution, the amount of lithium dissolved increased with the increase of reaction time up to 10 hours for both samples. Reaction time longer than 10 hours did not significantly increased the amount of lithium dissolved. After 10 hours of reaction, 89% of lithium in the clay sample from the Kırka deposit was dissolved, while 71% of lithium was dissolved from the Bigadiç deposit tailing sample. 87% of lithium in the clay sample from the Kırka deposit was extracted and 82% of lithium was extracted from the Bigadiç deposit tailing sample by the roasting extraction method, where clays were leached after a thermal treatment at $1,100^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours with $CaCO_3$ and $CaSO_4$.