• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.12-21
• /
• 2015

Almost all copper slags contain a considerable amount of Cu (0.5 - 3.7%) close to or even higher than copper ores. A number of methods for metal recovery from copper slag were reported These methods can be classified into three categories, flotation, leaching and roasting. Sulfide flotation method for the recovery of copper from Kazahstan copper furnace slag is discussed in this investigation. 50% of copper from the slag was recovered by sulfide flotation at pH 4. meanwhile 67% of copper from the slag was recovered at pH 11. Higher copper recovery result at pH 11 rather than that at pH 4 was caused by the fact that copper sulfides were floated in particle size fraction over $100{\mu}m$ in concentrates at pH 11. When the slag were ground below $74{\mu}m$by ball milling, the recovery of copper by floation in slag improved to 78 - 83% because of copper liberation effect.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.525-537
• /
• 2024

Pilins are protein subunits of pili. The pilins of type IV pili (T4P) in pathogenic bacteria are well characterized, but anything is known about the T4P proteins in acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms such as the genus Acidithiobacillus. The interest in T4P of A. thiooxidans is because of their possible role in cell recruitment and bacterial aggregation on the surface of minerals during biooxidation of sulfide minerals. In this study we present a successful ad hoc methodology for the heterologous expression and purification of extracellular proteins such as the minor pilin PilV of the T4P of A. thiooxidans, a pilin exposed to extreme conditions of acidity and high oxidation-reduction potentials, and that interact with metal sulfides in an environment rich in dissolved minerals. Once obtained, the model structure of A. thiooxidans PilV revealed the core basic architecture of T4P pilins. Because of the acidophilic condition, we carried out in silico characterization of the protonation status of acidic and basic residues of PilV in order to calculate the ionization state at specific pH values and evaluated their pH stability. Further biophysical characterization was done using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and the results showed that PilV remains soluble and stable even after exposure to significant changes of pH. PilV has a unique amino acid composition that exhibits acid stability, with significant biotechnology implications such as biooxidation of sulfide minerals. The biophysics profiles of PilV open new paradigms about resilient proteins and stimulate the study of other pilins from extremophiles.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.122-128
• /
• 2012

BACKGROUND: Mine drainage from metal mining districts is a well-recognized source of environmental contamination. Oxidation of metal sulfides in mines, mine dumps and tailing impoundments produces acidic, metal-rich waters that can contaminate the local surface water and soil. METHODS AND RESULTS: This experiment was carried out to investigate the pollution assessment of heavy metal on the water quality of mine drainage, paddy soils and sediment in lower watershed affected by mine drainage of the Sambo mine. The average concentrations of dissolved Cd (0.018~0.035 mg/L) in mine drainage discharged from the main waste rock dumps(WRD) was higher than the water quality standards (0.01 mg/L) for agricultural water in Korea. Also, the average concentrations of dissolved Zn, Fe and Mn were higher than those of recommended maximum concentrations (Zn 2.0, Fe 5.0, Mn 0.2 mg/L) of trace metal in irrigation water proposed by FAO (1994). The average contents of Pb and Zn in paddy soils was higher than those of standard level for soil contamination(Pb 200, Zn 300 mg/kg) in agricultural soil by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. Also, the concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in sediment were higher than those of standard level for soil contamination (Cd 10, Pb 400, Zn 600 mg/L) in waterway soil by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. The enrichment factor (EFc) of heavy metals in stream sediments were in the order as Cd>Pb>Zn> As>Cu>Cr>Ni. Also, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of heavy metals in stream sediments were in the order as Zn>Cd>Pb>Cu>As>Cr>Ni, specially, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of Zn (Igeo 3.1~6.2) were relatively higher than that of other metals in sediment. CONCLUSION(s): The results indicate that stream water and sediment were affected by mine drainage discharged from the Sambo mine at least to a distance of 1 km downstream (SN-1, SN-2) of the mine water discharge point.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.355-359
• /
• 2019

The high efficient water splitting system should involve the reduction of high overpotential value, which was enhanced by the electrocatalytic reaction efficiency of catalysts, during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) reaction, respectively. Among them, transition metal-based compounds (oxides, sulfides, phosphides, and nitrides) are attracting attention as catalyst materials to replace noble metals that are currently commercially available. Herein, we synthesized optimal monodisperse Co₃[Co(CN)₆]₂ PBAs by FESEM, and confirmed crystallinity by XRD and FT-IR, and thermal behavior of PBAs via TG-DTA. Also, we synthesized monodispersed Co₃O₄ nanocubes by calcination of Co₃[Co(CN)₆]₂ PBAs, confirmed the crystallinity by XRD, and proceeded OER measurement. Finally, the synthesized Co₃O₄ nanocubes showed a low overpotential of 312 mV at a current density of 10 mA·cm^-2 with a low Tafel plot (96.6 mV·dec^-1).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.226-234
• /
• 2002

A sediment exposure experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of acid volatile sulfides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in sediments on the bioavailability and toxicity of Cd, Ni and Zn to a marine polychaetes Neanthes arenaceodentata. The test animals were exposed to contaminated sediments spiked by metal mixtures of Cd, Ni, Zn (0.5～15 $\mu$mol/g of total SEM) in low (～1 $\mu$mol/g), medium (～5 $\mu$mol/g) and high AVS series (～10 $\mu$mol/g) to determine bioaccumulation, mortality and individual growth rate in each treatment after 20 days. Cd and Zn bioaccumulation in test animals increased with increasing of overlying water (OW) concentration controlled by AVS. In contrast, Ni bioaccumulation increased with increase of SEM concentration. Mortalities and growth inhibitions of N. arenaceodentata observed in only treatments with ［SEM-AVS］>0, due to a high level of OW-Zn. With regard to the mortality, the 20-d LC5O value fur OW-Zn was 9.3(8.0$\pm$11.0) $\mu$M. The LOEC (Lowest Observed Effect Concentration) for Tissue-Zn was 7.8 $\mu$mol/g and the NOEC (No Observed Effect Concentration) was 6.2 $\mu$mol/g. Regarding the inhibition of individual growth rate, the LOEC fer Tissue-Zn was 5.9 $\mu$mol/g, and NOEC was 5.1 $\mu$mol/g. In this study, the toxicity of dissolved metals, especially for Zn, was overemphasized due to the reduced distribution coefficients (K$\_$d/s) of metals in the experimental sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.339-352
• /
• 2022

As environmental criteria items are increased or strengthened, cases of heavy metal contamination by geogenic origin are increasing, and the need to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic origins in soil or groundwater exceeding the standard is increasing. In this study, geochemical occurrences of geogenic heavy metals were identified through statistical processing of the national geochemical map data and evaluation of geochemical characteristics of regions with high geoaccumulation indices. Cobalt, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn were targeted for which the national geochemical maps were prepared, and Co, Cr, Ni, and V derived from ultrabasic or ultramafic rocks were classified as factor 1. Copper, Pb and Zn of non-ferrous sulfide origin were classified as factor 2. In particular, enrichment of heavy metals by factor 1 occurs mainly in the serpentine distribution areas of the Chungcheong region, and there is a risk of contamination in neighboring areas. In the case of factor 2, geogenic occurrence is concerned not only in non-ferrous metal mineralization areas such as Taebacksan and Gyeongnam mineralization zones, but also in Au-Ag mineralization areas distributed nationwide.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.126-130
• /
• 2023

In response to environmental demands, pyrolysis is one of the practical methods for obtaining reusable oils from waste plastics. However, the waste plastic pyrolysis oils (WPPO) are consumed as low-grade fuel oil due to their impurities. Thus, this study focused on the upgrading method to obtain naphtha catalytic cracking feedstocks from WPPO by the hydroprocessing, including hydrotreating and hydrocracking reaction. Especially, various transition metal sulfides supported catalysts were investigated as hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts. The catalytic performance was evaluated with a 250 ml-batch reactor at 370~400 ℃ and 6.0 MPa H₂. Sulfur-, nitrogen-, and chlorine-compounds in WPPO were well eliminated with nickel-molybdenum/alumina catalysts. The NiMo/ZSM-5 catalyst has the highest naphtha yield.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.587-597
• /
• 1995

Two distinct precious-metal mineralizations actively occur at central and southeastern Korea which display consistent relationships among geologic, geochemical and genetic environments. A large number of preciousmetal vein deposits in the central Korea occur in or near Mesozoic granite batholiths elongated in a NE-SW direction. Whereas, gold and/or silver deposits in the southeastern Korea occur within Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks. However, most of the precious-metal deposits in the southeastern Korea show characteristics of the silver-rich deposits than the gold-rich deposits in the central Korea. Two epochs of main igneous activities are recognized: a) Jurassic Daebo igneous activity between 121 and 183 Ma, and b) Cretaceous Bulgugsa igneous activity between 60 and 110 Ma. Precious-metal mineralization took place between 158 and 71 Ma, coinciding with portions of the two magmatic activities. Contrasts in the style of mineralization, together with radiometric age data and differences in geologic settings reflect the genetically variable natures of hydrothermal activities from middle Jurassic to late Cretaceous time. The compilation and re-evaluation of these data suggest that the genetic types of hydrothermal precious-metal vein deposits in the central and southeastern Korea varied with time. The Jurassic and early Cretaceous mineralizations are characterized by the Au-dominant type, but tend to change to the Au-Ag and/or Ag-dominant types at late Cretaceous. The Jurassic Au-dominant deposits commonly show several characteristics; prominent associations with pegmatites, simple massive vein morphologies, high fmeness values in ore-concentrating parts, and a distinctively simple ore mineralogy such as Fe-rich sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, Au-rich electrum, pyrrhotite and/or pyrite. The Cretaceous precious-metal deposits are generally characterized by some- features such as complex vein morphologies, low to medium fmeness values in the ore concentrates, and abundance of ore minerals including Ag sulfosalts, Ag sulfides, Ag tellurides and native silver. Mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies indicate that the Jurassic Au-dominant deposits in the central area were formed at the high temperature (about $300^{\circ}$ to $500^{\circ}C$) and pressure (about 4 to 5 kbars), whereas mineralizations of the Cretaceous Au-Ag and Ag-dominant deposits were occurred at the low temperature (about $200^{\circ}$ to $350^{\circ}C$) and pressure (<0.5 kbars) from the ore fluids containing more amounts of less-evolved meteoric waters.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.328-336
• /
• 2008

Metal mining district drainage is a well recognized source of environmental contamination. Oxidation of metal sulfides produces acidic and metal-rich waters that contaminate local surface water and ground water in mines, mine dumps, and tailing impoundments. This monitoring study was carried out to investigate the stream water quality and pollution as affected by the Sambo mine drainage in relation to the relative distance from the mine. It obvious that pH values of the mine drainage ranged from 5.8 to 6.9, while the average concentrations of the dissolved chemical constituents for EC, $SO_4^{2-}$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were $1.77\;dS\;m^{-1}$, 929, 14.6, 263.3, and 46.9 mg/L in mine drainage discharged from the main waste rock dumps (WRD), respectively. Furthermore, EC values and sulfate concentrations exceeded the critical toxicity levels in agricultural water for rice plant ($1.0\;dS\;m^{-1}$ for EC and 54.0 mg/L for $SO_4^{2-}$). Also, the average of dissolved cadmium concentrations ($0.016{\sim}0.021\;mg/L$) was higher than water quality standard (0.01 mg/L) for agricultural water in Korea, in addition to Zn, Fe and Mn were higher than trace metals maximum concentrations which recommended by FAO for irrigation water. The results indicate that mine drainage discharged from the Sambo mine affected stream water at least to distance of 1 km downstream of the mine water discharge point. EC values, $SO_4^{2-}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in discharged water positively correlated with dissolved Cd, Zn, Al and Mn concentrations, while the pH values negatively correlated. In addition, EC values, $SO_4^{2-}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations were negatively correlated with pH values.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.39 no.3 s.178
• /
• pp.213-227
• /
• 2006

The geochemical evolution of mine drainage and leachate from waste rock dumps and stream water in Pb-As-rich abandoned Sechang mine area was investigated to elucidate mechanisms of trace metals. Total and sequential extractions were applied to estimate the distribution of trace metals in constituent phases of the waste rocks and to assess the mobility of trace metals according to physicochemical conditions. These discharged waters varied largely in chemical composition both spatially and temporally, and included cases with significant]y low pH (in the range 2.1-3.3), and extremely sulphate (up to 661 mg/l and metal contents (e.g. up to 169 mg/l for Zn, 27 mg/l for As, 3.97 mg/l for Pb, 2.99 mg/l for Cu, and 1.88 mg/l for Cd). Arsenic and heavy metal concentrations at the down-stream of Sechang mine have been decreased nearly to the background level in downstream sites (sites 8 and 16) without any artificial treatments. The oxidation of Fe-sulfides and the subsequent hydrolysis, of Fe(II), with precipitation of poorly crystallized minerals, constituted an efficient mechanism of natural attenuation which reduces considerably the transference of trace metals (i.e. Fe and As) to rivers. The dilution of drainage by mixing with pristine waters provoked an additional decrease of trace metal concentrations and a progressive pH increase. On the other hand, the most soluble cations (i.e. Zn) remained significantly as dissolved solutes until the pH was raised to approximately neutral values. With respect to ecotoxicity, it is likely that the Zn pollution is of particular concern in Sechang mine area. This was confirmed by the sequential extraction experiment, where Zn in wet waste-rock samples occurred predominantly in the exchangeable fraction (65-89% of total), while Pb was the highest in the reducible and carbonate fractions, and Cd, Cu and As in the residual fraction. Pb concentration in the readily available exchangeable fraction (34-48% of total) was dominated for dried waste rock samples. Considering the proportion of metals bound to the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, the comparative mobility of metals probably decreased in the order of Zn>Pb>Cd>As=Cu.