• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1998

In Pohang area, basaluminite accompanying a little amounts of hydrobasalumnite, super-genetically occurs as whitish cryptocrystalline (2-4 $\mu\textrm{m}$) clay-like aggregates in the vicinity of altered carbonate concretions embedded within mudstones of the Tertiary Yeonil Group. A hydrobasaluminite changed readily into a basaluminite at room temperature in air, and, in turn, into a metabasaluminite when heating to 150$^{\circ}$~30$0^{\circ}C$. For the basaluminite, a monoclinic unit-cellparameters (a=14.845$\AA$, b=10.006$\AA$, c=11.082$\AA$, $\beta$=122.15$^{\circ}$) were calculated by X-ray powder diffraction data. Its basal reflections (001 and 002) are XRD analyses strongly indicate that the aluminum sulphate mineral has a layer structure and, at least, three types of water, i.e., (1) interlayer water (9.0 wt %), (2) crystal water (8.0 wt %), and (3) structural water (19.0 wt %). may present in its lattice. Based on TG-DTG data combined with EDS and IR analyses, a new chemical formula of Al5SO4(OH)134H2O was given to the basaluminite. Field occurrence and stable isotope data ($\delta$18O, $\delta$D, $\delta$34S) for the basaluminite seem to reflect that it was formed by the leached meteoric solution from surrounding mudstones during or after uplifting. An interaction of the acid solution with carbonate concretion and the resultant local neutralization of the fluid rich in Al3+ and SO42- are major controls on the basaluminite formation.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2019

The white aluminum phases in acid mine drainage usually precipitates when mixed with stream waters with relatively high pH. The minerals in white precipitates play important roles in controlling the behavior of heavy metals by adsorbing and coprecipitation. By the phase transition of these minerals in white precipitates, dissolution and readsorption of heavy metals may occur. This study was conducted to obtain preliminary information on the phase transition of the mineral phases in white precipitates. In this study, the mineral phase changes in the white precipitates collected from the stream around Dogye Mining Site over time were investigated with different pH values and temperatures. White precipitates consist mainly of basaluminite, amorphous $Al(OH)_3$ and a small amount of $Al_{13}$-tridecamer. During aging, the incongruent dissolution of the basaluminite occurs first, increasing the content of the amorphous $Al(OH)_3$. After that, pseudoboehmite is finally precipitated following the precursor phase of pseudoboehmite. At $80^{\circ}C$, this series of processes was clearly observed, but at relatively low temperatures, no noticeable changes were observed from the initial condition with coexisting basaluminite and amorphous $Al(OH)_3$. At high pH, the desorption of $SO{_4}^{2-}$ group in basaluminite was initiated to promote phase transition to the pseudoboehmite precursor. Over time, the solution pH decreases due to the dissolution and phase transition of the minerals, and even after the precipitation of pseudoboehmite, only the particle size slightly increased but no clear cystal form was observed.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.38-39
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• 2001

The seasonal changes in pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$$\^$2-/ contents of acid drainage released from coal mine dumps play a major role in precipitation of metal hydroxides in the Taebaek coal field area, southeastern Korea. Precipitates in the creeks underwent a cycle of the color change showing white, reddish brown and brownish yellow, which depends on geochemical factors of the creek waters. White precipitates consist of Al-sulfate (basaluminite and hydrobasaluminite) and reddish brown ones are composed of ferrihydrite and brownish yellow ones are of schwertmannite. Goethite coprecipitates with ferrihydrite and schwertmannite. Ferrihydrite formed at higher values than pH 5.3 and schwertmannite precipitated below pH 4.3, and goethite formed at the intermediate pH range between the two minerals. With the pH being increased from acid to intermediate regions, Fe is present both as schwertmannite and goethite. From the present observation, the most favorable pH that basauluminte can precipitate is in the range of pH 4.45-5.95. SEM examination of precipitates at stream bottom shows that they basically consist of agglomerates of spheroid and rod-shape bacteria. Bacteria species are remarkably different among bottom precipitates and, to a less extent, there are slightly different chemical compositions even within the same bacteria. The speciation and calculation of the mineral saturation index were made using MINTEQA2. In waters associated with yellowish brown precipitates mainly composed of schwertmannite, So$_4$ species is mostly free So$_4$$\^$2-/ ion with less AlSo$_4$$\^$+/, CaSo$\sub$(aq)/, and MgSo$\sub$4(aq)/. Ferrous iron is present mostly as free Fe$\^$2+/, and FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/ and ferric iron exists predominantly as Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$+/, with less FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/, Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$-/, FeSo$_4$$\^$-/ and Fe$\^$3+/, respectively Al exists as free Al$\^$3+/, AlOH$_2$$\^$-/, (AlSo$_4$)$\^$+/, and Al(So$_4$)$\^$2-/. Fe is generally saturated with respect to hematite, magnetite, and goethite, with nearly saturation with lepidocrocite. Aluminum and sulfate are supersaturated with respect to predominant alunite and less jubanite, and they approach a saturation state with respect to diaspore, gibbsite, boehmite and gypsum. In the case of waters associated with whitish precipitates mainly composed of basaluminite, Al is present as predominant Al$\^$3+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$+/, with less Al(OH)$\^$2+/, Al(OH)$_2$$\^$+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$2-/. According to calculation for the mineral saturation, aluminum and sulfate are greatly supersaturated with respect to basaluminite and alunite. Diaspore is flirty well supersaturated while jubanite, gibbsite, and boehmite are already supersaturated, and gypsum approaches its saturation state. The observation that the only mineral phase we can easily detect in the whitish precipitate is basaluminite suggests that growth rate of alunite is much slower than that of basaluminite. Neutralization of acid mine drainage due to the dilution caused by the dilution effect due to mixing of unpolluted waters prevails over the buffering effect by the dissolution of carbonate or aluminosilicates. The main factors to affect color change are variations in aqueous geochemistry, which are controlled by dilution effect due to rainfall, water mixng from adjacent creeks, and the extent to which water-rock interaction takes place with seasons. pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$ contents of the creek water are the most important factors leading to color changes in the precipitates. A geochemical cycle showing color variations in the precipitates provides the potential control on acid mine drainage and can be applied as a reclamation tool in a temperate region with four seasons.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.579-598
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• 2019

We investigated geochemical contaminants and Fe, Al behavior in precipitates of acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Donghae abandoned coal mine, Taebaek, Gangwon Province using aqueous chemical analyses, XRD, IR, and ²⁷Al NMR, Our results showed that water chemistry changed with pH and Eh, and saturation indices of chemical species in the AMD. According to saturation calculated by visual MINTEQ, the AMD was saturated with various Fe-, Al-oxyhydroxide minerals. Reddish brown precipitates are composed of schwertmannite, ferrihydrite, and goethite, whereas whitish precipitates are composed mostly of alumimous minerals such as poorly crystallized basaluminite with trace Al₁₃-Tridecamer. It is important to apply active treatment methods rather than simple storage pond and to control the precipitation and solubility of iron species and aluminous species for ensuring remediation and control for the AMD discharged from the Donghae abandoned coal mine.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.163-183
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• 2019

We investigated acid mine drainage (AMD) of Bongyang abandoned coal mine, Danyang, Chungbuk Province with emphasis on geochemical contaminants in AMD and precipitates using chemical analyses, XRD, SEM, IR, and $^{27}Al$ NMR. Water chemistry changes with pH and oversaturation of chemical species. According to calculation of saturation index, the AMD is saturated with various Fe, Al minerals. Orange or orcher precipitates are composed of schwertmannite and goethite, associated with Leptothrix orchracea bacteria, whereas whitish precipitates are composed mostly of alumimous minerals such as basaluminite with poor crystallinity. The whitish precipitates include trace $Al_{13}$-Tridecamer. It is important to control the precipitation and solubility of aluminous species for ensuring remediation and control for the AMD discharged from the Bongyang abandoned coal mine.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.529-539
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• 2019

In this study, heavy metal removal and precipitation characteristics with pH change were studied for artificial acid mine drainage. Artificial acid mine drainage was prepared using sulfates of iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, manganese which contained in acid mine drainage from abandoned mines. The single and mixed five heavy metal samples of Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, and Mn were prepared at initial concentrations of 30 and 70 mg/L. Fe and Al were mostly removed at pH 4.0 and 5.0, respectively, and other heavy metals gradually decreased with increasing pH. Concentration changes with increasing pH show generally similar trend for single and mixed heavy metal samples. The effect of removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions is not related to the initial concentration and depends on the pH change. XRD were used for mineral identification of precipitates and crystallinity of the mineral tended to increase with increasing pH. The precipitates that produced by decreasing the concentration of heavy metals in the aqueous solution composed of Fe-goethite(FeOOH), Al-basaluminite(Al₄(SO₄)(OH)₁₀·4H₂O), Cu-connellite(Cu₁₉(OH)₃₂(SO₄)Cl₄·3H₂O) and tenorite(CuO), Zn-zincite(ZnO), and Mn-hausmannite(Mn₃O₄).