• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.48-58
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• 2004

Objectives of this research were to reclaim the coal mine overburdens using the lime waste cake from the soda ash production by stabilizing the overburden slopes, introducing neutralizing the AMD from runoff and leachate in an attempt find the sink to dispose the lime wastes and alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The pH changes of the runoff and leachate collected in the tanks at the end of the experimental plots, averaged over measurements from April to August, indicated that the runoff pH of the coal overburden was 4.3 but increased significantly to the ranges of 6.7 to 7.1 with treatments of tile calcites and lime wastes. This might be related with the decreases in Fe concentrations in the runoff and leachate from the coal overburdens. The Fe concentrations in tile runoff seemed to increase with the amounts of precipitation. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. The lime wastes from the soda ash production might have a potential to be recycled for the reclamation of the abandoned coal mines to alleviate the environmental problems associated with coal mine waste.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1629-1637
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• 2015

To develop various usable water from coal seam gas (CSG) water that needs to be pumped out from coal seams for methane gas production, a feasibility study was carried out, evaluating and analysing a recent report (Coal Seam Gas Water Management Policy 2012) from Queensland State Government in Australia to suggest potential CSG water treatment options for fit-for-purpose usable water production. As CSG water contains intrinsically high salinity-driven total dissolved solid (TDS), bicarbonate, aliphatic carbon, $Ca^{+2}$, $Mg^{+2}$ and so on, it was found that appropriate treatment technologies are required to reduce the hardness below 60 mg/L as $CaCO_3$ by setting the reduction rates of $Ca^{+2}$, $Mg^{+2}$ and Na+ concentrations, as well as TDS reduction. Also, Along with fiber filtration and membrane separation, an oxidation degradation process was found to be required. Along with salinity reduction, as CSG water contains organic compounds (TOC: 248 mg/L, $C_6-C_9$: <20 mg/L and $C_{10}-C_{36}$: <60 mg/L), compounds with relatively high molecular weights ($C_{10}-C_{36}$) need to be treated first. Therefore, this study suggests a combined system design with filtration (Reverse osmosis) and oxidation reduction (electrolysis) technologies, offering proper operating conditions to produce fit-for-purpose usable water from CSG water.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.233-244
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• 2023

With the increasing amount of resources required by the society development, mining operations go deeper, which raises the requirements of studying the effects of temperature on the physical and mechanical properties of coal and adjacent rock. For now, these effects are yet to be fully revealed. In this paper, a mechanical-electromagnetic radiation (EMR) test system was established to understand the mechanical deterioration characteristics of coal by the effect of thermal treatment and its deformation and fracture characteristics under thermo-mechanical coupling conditions. The mechanical properties of high-temperature-treated coal were analyzed and recorded, based on which, reasons of coal mechanical deterioration as well as the damage parameters were obtained. Changes of the EMR time series under unconstrained conditions were further analyzed before characteristics of EMR signals under different damage conditions were obtained. The evolution process of thermal damage and deformation of coal was then analyzed through the frequency spectrum of EMR. In the end, based on the time-frequency variation characteristics of EMR, a method of determining combustion zones within the underground gasification area and combustion zones' stability level was proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.76-85
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• 2009

This study was carried to select the proper vegetation base materials which improve soil quality in abandoned coal mine areas. Also, we aimed at the feasibility of the direct seeding method without soil molding for the ecological restoration in those areas. We set total eight plots within the study site established on an abandoned coal mine area near Taebaek city, Gangwon province in April 2006. The plots were classified as two groups(straw mats mulching and no mulching), and the four treatments (C; control, MI; microbial innoculation, WC; wood chip, OF; organic fertilizer) were applied in each two groups for the soil conditioning. The survival of Pinus densiflora was highest among other species(Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Amorpha fruticosa and Arundinella hirta). For the non straw mat, the survival rate of Pinus densiflora seedlings was highest in the WC treatment($1,756trees/m^2$). For the straw mat, survival rate of Pinus densiflora seedlings was also highest in the WC treatment ($1,622trees/m^2$). In addition, for the non straw mat, the height growth of Pinus densiflora seedling was highest in the OF treatment($12.4{\pm}3.9cm$). For the straw mat, the height growth of Pinus densiflora seedling was also highest in the OF treatment($18.7{\pm}5.3cm$). In general, organic fertilizer treatment with the straw mat was most effective for seedling growth. Also, we suggested that the direct seeding method without soil molding could be sufficiently possible for revegetating abandoned coal mine, Korea.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.165-172
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• 2004

Co-incineration of coal and wastewater sludge was r;erfonn:rl in a O.lMWth bench scale circulating fluidized bed combustor(CFBC) Sludge was received from a wastewater treatment plant in a dye industrial complex in Busan. Metropolis. Moisture content of received sludge was 80%. Coal and sludge mixture was prepared with weight ratio of 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20. Co-combustion characteristics of the coal and sludge mixture demonstrated stable combustion conditions. Component analysis, incineration characteristics, boiler performance was measured before and after the test and application for commercial 59MWth CFBC boiler. The release of hazardous components such as $SO_2$ and Cl was suppressed by the presence of inherent minerals of Ca, Na, K in coal and sludge mixture. Pre-drying was not essential but it was recommended for the benefits of manageability of sludge.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.499-508
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• 1998

The Imgok Creek is located in the Gangreung coal field, which has been known that sulfides are more abundant than other coal fields in Korea, and it has been severly contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) discharging from the abandoned coal mines, such as the Youngdong, the Dongduk and the Waryong coal mines. The purposes of this study are to synthetically assess the contamination of natural water, stream sediment and cultivated soils, and to provide the basic data for AMD treatment. Geochemical samples were collected in December, 1996 (dry season) and April, 1997 (after three day's rainfall). TDS of the Youngdong mine water was remarkably higher than those of other mine waters. In the Imgok Creek, concentrations of most elements, except Fe decreased with distance by dilution caused by the inflow of uncontaminated tributaries. From the results of NAMDI and $I_{geo}$ calculation, the Youngdong coal mine was the main contamination source of the study area. Groundwater pollution was not yet confirmed in this study and the paddy and farm land soils were also not yet contaminated by mining activity based on the pollution index ranging from 0.27 to 0.47.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.908-916
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• 1991

The characteristics of the carbonized and calcined products made from coal tar pitch coke and coal tar pitch, were investigated in the aspect of the manufacture of isotropic graphite with high density. The mesophase from the pitch was rapidly formed at higher heat-treatment temperature between 410$^{\circ}C$ and 450$^{\circ}C$, where the insolubes in the pitch accelerated the rate of nucleation and growth of the mesophase. The benzene insolubles and the quinoline insolubes were increased as the heat treatment temperature and the heat-treatment time increased. The ratio of benzene insolubles and quinoline solubles (BI/QS) was decreased as the heat-treatment temperature was higher and maintained to be nearly constant regardless of heat-treatment time at fixed heat treatment temperature. The bulk density of the calcined carbon was linearly proportional to the ratio of quinoline solubes to volatile matter in the green coke. Anisotropic ratio of electrical resistance was measured to be between 0.98 and 1.10.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.477-482
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• 1995

A computer simulation model of various smelting process for melting waste sand was developed by using energy and material balance concept. This model can predict the coal, flux and oxygen consumption and the volume and temperature of off-gas. The major critical variables for smelting process can be explained by using the analysis of energy and material balance. The major conclusions were as follows; 1. The most important variables for smelting process were high post-combustion ratio, high heat transfer efficiency and refractory protection technology. 2. For saving energy in this smelting process, selection of raw materials i.e coal, flux are very important, espacially using of low volatile coal is very profitable. 3. The treatment cost of waste sand is high and environmental restriction is severe, in this reason we must be concerned in the treatment of waste sand by smelting process.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2001

Improvement of water quality and Investigation of bacterial characteristics have been conducted in a pilot plant using biological activated carbon (BAC) in water treatment process at the downstream of the Nakdong River. Most of water control parameters were highly improved after passing through BAC. Approximately 54% of dissolved organic carbon was removed in coal-based BAC process. Bacterial biomass and bacterial production appeared $9.8{\times}10^8 CFU/g and 7.1mg-C/m^3$.hr in coal-based BAC, respectively. Predominant bacteria species grown in BAC were identified as Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes, Acinetobacter and Aeromonas species. Particularly Pseudomonas vesicularis was dominant in both coal-based and coconut-based BACs, while Pseudomonas cepacia was dominant in wood-based BAC.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.627-643
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• 2022

Water-rock interactions have a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of rocks. In this study, uniaxial compression and tension tests on different water-treated sandstone samples were conducted. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and micro-pore structure detection were carried out. Water-rock interactions and their effects on rock mechanical behavior were discussed. The results indicate that water content significantly weakens rock mechanical strength. The sensitivity of the mechanical parameters to water treatment, from high to low, are Poisson ratio (𝜇), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E), and peak strain (𝜀). After water treatment, AE activities and the shear crack percentage are reduced, the angles between macro fractures and loading direction are minimized, the dynamic phenomenon during loading is weakened, and the failure mode changes from a mixed tensile-shear type to a tensile one. Due to the softening, lubrication, and water wedge effects in water-rock interactions, water content increases pore size, promotes crack development, and weakens micro-pore structures. Further damage of rocks in fractured and caved zones due to the water-rock interactions leads to an extra load on the adjoining coal and rock masses, which will increase the risk of dynamic disasters.