• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2007

The KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) located in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was recently constructed following the site investigation in 2003. Its dimension is 180 m in length, 6 m in width, and 6 m in height, and it has a horseshoe-like cross-sec-lion and is located in the ground to the depth of 90 m. When the tunnel was dug into the ground with 100 m in length, fresh rocks, weathered rocks and fracture-filling materials were taken and examined by mineralogical and chemical analyses. There are phyllosilicate minerals such as illite, smectite and chlorite including calcite, which are filling some faults and cracks of the KURT rock. The illite and smectite usually coexist in the fracture, where their content ratio is different according to which mineral is predominant. There are high concentrations of U and Th in the rocks coated with iron-oxides and filled with secondary materials as compared with those in the fresh rocks. It seems that the radionuclides, which are slowly leached from the parent rocks or exist as a dissolved form in the groundwater and hydrothermal solution, may have been migrated along the fractures and thereafter selectively sorbed and coprecipitated on the iron-oxides and the fracture-filling materials. These results will be very useful far the evaluation of environmental factors affecting the nuclides migration and retardation when long-term safety is considered to the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the future.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.246-258
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• 1988

Semi-quantitative analysis of $less-than-2{\mu}m$ clay minerals in thirty-nine superficial sediments from the Chinju Bay, southern coast of Korea, was made to reveal the distribution, provenance and dispersal pattern of fine-grained sediments. Additional nine samples were also taken from the Choryang Cheon (a river draining the kaolin-rich Hadong area) to investigate the influence of river a discharge. Grain size analysis for the Chinju Bay sediment samples was performed simultaneously as an aid to understand the sediment types and depositional environments. Except for the northeastern part, clayey mud predominates the entire bay. Average relative abundance of the four major clay minerals, I. I., illite, kaolinite, chlorite and smectite, is $55.1\%,\;23\%,\;21.5\%\;and\;0.4\%$, respectively. Although illite dominant clay mineral, the average content is about $10\~20\%$ tourer than that of the nearby continental shelf area. On the contrary, kaolinite content in the bay is about $10\%$ higher than that of the shelf area. Recent clay minerals of the Chinju Bay are mainly derived from the nearby inland area through numerous rivers and streams. Transport from shelf area, however. also seems to be important.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.89-101
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• 2016

This study investigated spectral characteristics of heavy metal contaminated soil samples in the vicinity of abandoned Boksu mine. Heavy metal concentrations including arsenic, lead, zinc, copper and cadmium were analyzed by XRF analysis. As a result, all of the soil samples excluding control sample were over-contaminated based on the counter measure standard. The XRD results revealed that quartz, kaolinite and smectite were detected for all of the soil samples and heavy metals in soil were adsorbed on clay minerals such as kaolinite and smectite. The spectral analyses confirmed that spectral reflectance of near-infrared and shorter portion of shortwave-infrared spectrum decreases as heavy metal concentration increases. Moreover, absorption depths at 2312 nm and 2380 nm, the absorption features of clay minerals, decreases with higher heavy metal concentration indicating adsorption of heavy metal ions with clay minerals. It indicates that spectral features and heavy metal contamination of soil samples have high correlations.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2003

This study was performed to measure expandabilities and coherent scattering domain sizes (CSDs) of bentonite samples from Campo and Yonil area, Korea, using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and to compare their experimental data with those of international standard bentonite samples (SAz-1, STx-1, and SWy-2). Most of Gampo and Yonil bentonite samples comprised randomly interstratified illite-smectite (R0 I-S), and their expandabilities ranged over 77-100%S$_{XRD}$ from the saddle/001 method. The interstratification deformed 001 peaks of EG-solvated samples (Mering's first principle), which prohibited us from adopting these peaks to measure CSDs using BWA (Bertaut-Warren-Averbach) method. CSDs of the bentonite samples with R0 I-S could be measured through dehydration at 30$0^{\circ}C$ after K-saturation, where the deformation originated from the interstratification could be removed effectively. Campo and Yonil bentonite samples showed that their mean CSDs ranged over 3.8-5.4 interlayers, and that their CSDs distributions were similar to those of Gonzales (STx-1) and Wyoming (SWy-2) bentonite samples.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2005

Beidellite, a member of the smectite group, was synthesized hydrothermally from dickite. Physical and chemical properties of the synthetic Na-beidellite were characterized by the analytical methods of XRD, IR, TG, DTA, EDS, XRF and ICP. The result of Greene-Kelly test indicates that the synthesized smectite is Na-beidellite. IR spectrum of synthesized beidellite exhibited Al-O-H bending vibration at $818\;cm^{-1}\;and\;770\;cm^{-1}$ which was observed particularly in pure beidellite. TGA analysis revealed that the synthesized Na-beidellite comprises $16\;wt\%$ of water. DTA curve showed an endothermic peak at $117^{\circ}C$ due to dehydration reaction and peaks at $482^{\circ}C$ and $685^{\circ}C$ due to dehydroxylation reaction. The clay mineral was transformed to mullite and cristobalite at the temperature of $1028^{\circ}C$. The CEC value, Methylene Blue test and swelling capacity was determined to be $116\~118\;cmol/kg,\;84\~91\%,\;29\~32\;mL/2g$, respectively. The chemical composition of the synthesized phase was identified as $Na_{0.5}Al_{2.5}Si_{3.5}O_{10}(OH)_2$ from EDS and XRF analyses.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2005

In the high-Ca limestone zone of the Pungchon Formation of the Lower Chosun Supergroup, cryptocrystalline alterations with reddish brown color occur as fissure-fillings or coatings, which was originated from the upper formation, i. e., the Hwajeol Formation. The precipitates result in degradation and contamination of the high-Ca limestone ore in grade and quality, showing characteristic occurrence and mineral composition typical of suggesting a supergene origin. Chalcedonic quartz, kaolinite, illite, goethite and hematite are constituting a characteristic authigenic mineral assemblage and, in places, smectite is less commonly included in the weathering product. In addition to these authigenic phases, some detrital minerals such as mica and orthoclase constituting relatively coarser grains are also rarely present in the supergene alterations. A rather complex clay facies consisting of kaolinite, illite and smectite in the alterations seems to correspond to the typical clay composition of the reported residual pedogenic soils by limestone weathering. The cryptocrystalline weathering product is partly altered to stilbite, a characteristic hydrothermal zeolite, in places, by the hydrothermal contact of late stage. The time of formation and infiltration of the supergene alterations seems to correspond to the stage just after the epithermal alteration of the Pungchon Limestone, i. e., an early Jurassic age. The supergene alteration, which may imply the stage of uplifting, weathering and erosion of the Chosun Supergroup, appears to have undergone at an oxygen-rich environment in descending water of meteoric origin by means of a chemical leaching and diffusion.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2007

Enormous amount of zeolite by-products as a fine powder have been produced while manufacturing commercial zeolite products. Granulation of the zeolite by-products is necessary in order for them to be recycled as soil conditioners or absorbent for various environmental contaminants due to the limitations inherent from their physical properties. We granulated the zeolite powders using Portland cement as a cementing agent and characterized the physical and chemical properties of the granulated zeolite product. The experimental natural zeolite had a Si/Al ratio of 4.8 and CEC of 68.1 $cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) revealed that clinoptilolite and mordenite were the major minerals of natural zeolite. Smectite, feldspar and quartz also existed as secondary minerals. Optimum conditions of granulated zeolite production occurred when natural zeolite was mixed with Portland cement at a 4:1 ratio and granulated using the extruder, left to harden for one month at $25^{\circ}C$ and treated at $400^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours. The wide spectra of XRD revealed that the granulated zeolite had amorphous oxide minerals. The alkali- or thermal-treated natural zeolite exhibited pH-dependent charge properties. The major minerals of the granulated zeolite were clinoptilolite, mordenite and tobermorite. The buffering capacity and charge density of the granulated zeolite were greater than those of natural zeolite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.3 s.45
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• pp.205-214
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• 2005

Some Quaternary faults developed in the eastern block of the Ulsan fault are Gaegok 1, Gaegok 2, Singye, Madong, Wonwonsa and Jinhyeon faults, which are characterized by thin gouge and narrow cataclasitic tones. This study was performed to emphasize the role of mineral alteration and microtexture in response to hydrothermal alteration of fault gouges during fault activity, using XRD, EPMA, BSE (backscattered electron image), and K-Ar age dating methods. Alteration minerals in fault gouges were formed in the age range of $44.3\~28.9Ma$ by hydrothermal alteration attributed to fault activity. XRD results show that fault gouges consist predominantly of clay minerals, quartz and feldspars. Clay minerals formed in the gouge zones are mainly composed of smectite with trace chlorite, illite and kaolinite. The evidence to support the hydrothermal alteration of preexisting minerals due to fault activity are easily recognized at the host rocks in contact with gouges zones. Injected gouge and calcite veins indicate that they were originated from multiple deformation by repeated fault activity. Gouge with green or greenish grey color, for example Jinhyeon fault, contains higher $Al_2O_3$ and lower MgO and CaO compared to those with reddish color. Various colors of fault gouge are intimately related to the chemical compositions of main constituent mineral as well as mineral assemblage.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 1993

The clay minerals such as sericite, pyrophyllite, chlorite and smectite abundantly occur in the Bobae pottery stone mine in Pusan. In this study, the processes which are responsible for the formation of these minerals were studied by examing their occurrence and mineralogical properties. The so-called pottery stone of this mine is characterized by the predominance of sericite and quartz. The sericite of the pottery stone is mostly $2M-{1}$ type. And many of quartz particles are smaller than a few micron in diameter. The pottery stone also contained a small amount of pyrophyllite and muscovite. The pottery stone deposit occurs within the Cretaceous rhyodacite and is particularly well developed near the contact with the quartz porphyry which intrudes the rhyodacite. The fact implies that the pottery stone is the product of hydrothermal alteration of the rhyodacite by the intrusion of quartz porphyry. The pottery stone was formed by the alteration that accompanies the dissociation of feldspar and chlorite in parent rocks and subsequent formation of sericte and quartz. Smectite, laumontite and kaolinite occur locally within the altered rocks. These minerals were formed after formation of pottery stone. It is noteworthy that beidellite occurs as a pink-colored clay from the altered rocks in the mine.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Surface soils on Barton Peninsula, King George Island, West Antarctica were investigated to acquire the mineralogical and geochemical data of soil in Antarctica. Multiline of techniques for example, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and wet chemistry analysis were performed to measure the composition of clay minerals, Fe-oxidation states, cation exchange capacity, and total cation concentration. Various minerals in sediments such as smectite, illite, chlorite, kaolinite, quartz and plagioclase were identified by XRD. Fe-oxidation states of bulk soils showed 20-40% of Fe(II) which would be ascribed to the reduction of Fe in clays as well as Fe-bearing minerals. Moreover, redox states of Fe in smectite structure was a ~57% of Fe(III) consistent to the values for the bulk soils. The cation exchange capacity of bulk soils ranged from 100 to 300 meq/kg and differences were not significantly measured for the sampling locations. Total cations (Mg, K, Na, Al, Fe) of bulk soils varies, contrast to the heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn). These results suggested that composition of bed rocks influenced the distribution of elements in soil environments and soils containing clay compositions may went through the bio/geochemical alteration.