• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.183-199
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• 2008

This study is focused on characterization of the physio-chemical and mineralogical properties, investigation of their vertical changes in the tailing profile of the Guryoung mining area, classification of the profile into distinct zones, and condition conceptual model of physio-chemical conditions and phases-water relationships controlling the element behaviors in the tailings. The upper part of the groundwater is characterized by the high contents of $Fe_2O_3$ and $SO_3$ for whole rock analysis, low pH, and the occurrence of jarosite, schwertmannite and Fe-oxyhydroxide as the secondary mineral phases. The tailing profile can be divided into the covering soil, jarosite zone, Fe-sulfate zone, Fe-oxyhydroxide and gypsum-bearing pyrite zone, calcite-bearing pyrite zone, soil zone, and weathered zone on the based of the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics. The profile can be sampled into the oxidized zone and the carbonate-rich primary zone with the dramatic changes in pH and the secondary mineral phases. The conceptual model proposed for the tailing profile can be summarized that the oxidation of pyrite is the most important reaction controlling the changes in pH, the dissolution of the primary silicates and carbonates, the precipitation of secondary mineral phases, acid-neutralizing, and heavy metal behaviors through the profile.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.383-395
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• 2008

To enhance the grade and recovery rate of the gold/silver ores which yield at Philippine Mankayan mine, we studied the characteristics which are the geologic and mineralogical features of gold and silver ore, the liberation by crushing and grinding, the separation by sieving and shaking table. Gold/silver ore is composed of the sulfide minerals like pyrite, sphalerite, galena; and the gangue minerals which is quartz, clay. Gold/silver element are mainly contained in a sulfide minerals like pyrite, sphalerite and galena. To increase the liberation rate of sulfide minerals containing gold/silver element, the gold/silver ore has to be grounded under $100{\mu}m$ very finely because the crystal size of sulfide minerals is distributed from $1{\mu}m$ to $100{\mu}m$. The liberation rate of gold/silver ore increases to 92% when the particle size ($d_{90}$) of ore is grounded below $100{\mu}m$ by jaw crusher $\to$ cone crusher $\to$ rod mill by steps. The grade and recovery of sulfide minerals could not be enhanced by sieving separation because those crystal size is distributed homogeneously below $100{\mu}m$. But, when we separated the sieved ore using shaking table, the gold and silver grade increased to 40 ppm and 140 ppm, respectively. Then the recovery rate of gold reach almost 100% but that of silver is no more that 50%.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.397-413
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• 2008

In Gaya area, the Boseong kaolin deposits exhibit locally unusual occurrences such as downward enrichment of kaoin minerals, characteristic hydrothermal alterations (illite and stilbite), and phase relations among kaolin minerals in addition to the extensive weathering of anorthositic country rocks. This indicates that the kaolin deposits seem to be genetically formed as a mixed hydrothermal and residual model. The kaolin ores can be divided into five types on the basis of differences in occurrence, mineral composition and characters. These consist of two types of high-grade ores ranging above 80% in grade and low-grade ores as low as less than 80% including feldspar residuals or the peculiar impurity phase of illite-vermiculite-stilbite. Halloysite and kaolinite are mostly coexisted in the Boseong kaolin, and these kaolin minerals exhibit diverse appearances in crystallinity and morphology. Such a diversity in mineral phase and crystallinity seems to be originated from the complexity in genesis. In addition to these diverse characters of the kaolin, its applied-mineralogical characteristics such as chemical composition, thermal properties, whiteness, viscosity, and etc. made it disadvantageous in terms of ore quality.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2008

In the upstream of Nakdong river in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, certain areas of riverside were found to be covered by weathered mine tailings which were assumed to be migrated and deposited by flood. This study was conducted to investigate the formation and characteristics of the secondary minerals from tailings and related leaching behavior of heavy metals in the severely weathered tailing deposits by river waters. Quartz, feldspar, micas, chlorite, hornblende, talc, pyroxene (johannsenite), pyrite, and calcite were identified as primary minerals by XRD. Kaolinite can be formed by the weathering of tailings, but considering the short period of weathering time, kaolinite in the deposits is considered to be from unweathered tailings or moved from soils. The secondary minerals such as goethite, gypsum, basanite, and jarosite were also identified. The formation of the secondary minerals was affected by the species of primary minerals and pH conditions. The weathering of pyrite produced sulfate minerals such as gypsum, basanite, jarosite, and also goethite. Mn oxide was also identified by SEM, coated on the primary minerals such as quartz. This Mn oxide was poorly crystalline and thought to be the weathering product of johannsenite (Mn-pyroxene). The Fe and Mn oxides are the main minerals determining the brown/red and black colors of weathered tailings. EDS results showed that those oxides contain high concentrations of Pb, Zn, and As, indicating that, in the river, the formation of Fe and Mn oxides can control the behavior and leaching of heavy metals by co-precipitation or adsorption.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2010

Mineralogical characteristics of Cu-Co ores from the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Repblic of Congo are studied using powder X-ray diffractometer, general area detector X-ray diffractometer, and electron proble microanalyzer. Black ores are mainly composed of heterogenite (cobalt oxide/hydroxide mineral) and malachite (copper carbonate mineral), whereas green ores are only composed of malachite. Heterogenite shows very bright white color under the reflected microscope, and belongs to 3R polytype, because it has d-spacings at $4.39{\AA}$ and $2.316{\AA}$. Since NiO and $Fe_20_3$ content of heterogenite are lower than those of 3R polytype from other localities, it cannot completely exclude the presence of 2H polytype in heterogenite from this study. Malachite is light grey color under the reflected microscope with approximate chemical formula of $Cu_{1.97}Co_{0.02}Fe^{2+}{_{0.01}}CO_3(OH)_2$. Heterogenite and malachite were probably formed at the supergene emichment stage, the last mineralization stage in the Central African Copperbelt. Cobalt seems to be much more emiched in the black supergene (oxy)hydroxide ore than those in the primary sulfide ore.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1 s.47
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• pp.49-61
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to investigate the origin of suspended matter to induce turbidity water in Gachang dam in view of environmental geology. During the period from May to August 2004, field works and sampling were carried out three times at the dam and along its streams, and chemical and mineralogical analyses such as ICP, IC, particle size analyzer, XRD and SEM were made on water, soil and suspended matter in water. Electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, the contents of cation and anion increase from upstream toward the dam mostly due to the geological factors such as weathring of the rocks causing the increase of the total ion content. Vermiculite, illite, kaolinite, quartz, feldspar and iron hydroxide are commonly found in suspended matters in water and soils. Finer particles (d10) in soil increase slightly toward downstream and the vermiculite content is highest in the dam water. Since geological differences are not significant, mineralogy are similar in suspended matters and soils. Clay mineral compositions present in suspended matters were alsmost the same as those in soils, indicating the origin of soils by weathering of host rocks and being transported to the dam by stream water.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.231-245
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• 2007

The forged iron axe of the middle 3rd Century found in the No. 2 wood-framed tomb from the Hwangseongdong site, Gyeongju is rectangular on the plane level. The iron axe shines in met-allic luster, which is light grey with pale creamy tint. The result of X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the axe consists of magnetite and geothite, which can explain why the composition and texture of the original ore has been kept intact. There are fine-grained quartz, calcite, mica, magnetite, amphibole, unknown tungsten minerals, pyroxene and olivine inside the axe. Those must be the impurities that they failed to remove in the thermal treatment process. Generally, the iron axe consists mainly of pearlite texture coexisting ferrite and cementite, and show high carbon contents with homogeneous distribution. It can be interpreted the axe was carburized after the material was made to resemble pure iron. The decarbonization work didn't go well along the process marks. Crude ores of the iron axe are possible utilized by magnetite from the Ulsan mine on the basis of the occurrences and inclusions. It's estimated that the original ore was bloom produced in low-temperature reduction and formed around in $727^{\circ}C$, which is eutetic temperature.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2010

We studied the geological occurrence, associated minerals, mineralogical properties and formation process of tremolites from two abandoned asbestos mines, Jungang (Sinsuk) and Daebosuksan, located in Boryoung area, Chungnam. Morphologically different tremolites such as long fibrous, needle-like, bladed and prismatic forms coexisted. Fibrous tremolite, known for its high toxieity to human health, was systematically analyzed by polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The average length of tremolite fibers was 31.2 ${\mu}m$ although the maximum length of some asbestos was 210.0 ${\mu}m$. The average width and aspect ratio were 1.6 ${\mu}m$ and 19.9, respectively. Tremolite showed inclined extinction in the range of 6.1~20.2$^{\cric}$. X-ray diffraction patterns were slightly different between fibrous (asbestiform) and prismatic (non-asbestiform) tremolites. EPMA analysis of tremolites in the study area indicated extremely high Mg content with very low Fe content, close to the composition of tremolite in end-member in the tremolite-actinolite solid solution series. The formational conditions of asbestiform and non-asbestiform tremolite appear to be different. Asbestiform tremolite was estimated to have been formed in later stage.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2002

New pyrochlore-type phases($A_2$$B_2$$O_{7}$) were synthesized in the systems: CaO-C$eO_2$-T$iO_2$, CaO-$UO_2$(T$hO_2$)-Z$rO_2$, CaO-$UO_2$(T$hO_2$)-$Gd_2$$O_3$-T$iO_2$-Z$rO_2$, 및 CaO-T$hO_2$-S$nO_2$. The starting materials were pressed with the pressure of 200~400 MPa and sintered at 1500~ 155$0^{\circ}C$ for 4~8 hours in air and at 1300~ 135$0^{\circ}C$ for 5 ~50 hours under oxygen atmosphere. The products were characterized using XRD, SEM/EDS and TEM. In the bulk compositions of CaCe$Ti_2$$O_{7}$, CaTh$Zr_2$$O_{7}$,($Ca_{0.5}$ Gd$Th_{0.5}$)(ZrTi)$O_{7}$) ($Ca_{0.5}$Gd$Th_{0.5}$)(ZrTi)$O_{7}$, ($Ca_{0.5}$G$dU_{0.5}$)(ZrTi)$O_{7}$ and CaTh$Sn_2$$O_{7}$ , pyrochlore was the major phase, together with other oxide phase $of_2$$O_{7}$ fluorite structure. In the samples with target compositions CaU$Zr_2$$O_2$및 $Ca_{0.5}$ G$dU_{0.5}$)$Zr_2$T$iO_{7}$ pyrochlore was not identified, but a fluorite-structured phase was detected. The formation factor as the stable phase depended on crystal chemical characteristics of the actinide and lanthanide elements of the system concerned.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.305-314
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• 2002

The dehydration of hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA)-exchanged montmorillonite has been studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dehydration in HDTMA-montmorillonite seems to influence the swelling behavior of the organo-clay during heating. The basal d(001) spacing vs temperature curve of the HDTMA-montmorillonite has one broad swelling edge with a shoulder on the low-temperature side. We believe that the shoulder at $100^{\circ}C$ for the HDTMA-montmorillonite is due to interlayer swelling induced by the initial rearrangement of surfactants, and the second edge at $200^{\circ}C$ is caused by interlayer swelling resulting from the secondary vertical reorientation of alkyl chains. It seems that the dehydration of organo-clay induces a reorientation of the alkyl chains by transition to more vertical position relative to the silicate sheets, allowing instantly greater d-spacing.