• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.38-43
• /
• 1967

In order to explain the positive catalytic action of copper compound for the rate of leaching of zinc sulfide minerals, the electrode and redox potentials of both synthetic and natural sulfides were measured at various conditions of temperatures and pressures. The potentials of Chalcopyrite and copper sulfide were considerably higher than that of zinc sulfide, whereas lead sulfide and Galena had slightly lower potentials than that of zinc sulfide. At elevated temperatures and pressures, the same tendency was obtained. By means of comparing the calculated and measured values of potentials for sulfides, it was suggested that the electrode potentials in acid solution were generated by oxidation of sulfur ion. As a result, it was concluded that the catalytic action of copper compound in the leaching of synthetic zinc sulfide should be arised from the galvanic action between sulfides keeping intimate contact one another in which copper sulfide worked as cathodic and zinc sulfide as anodic part analogous to the metal corrosion under galvanic action.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.445-455
• /
• 2009

Microbiological sulfate reduction is the transformation of sulfate to sulfide catalyzed by the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria using sulfate as an electron acceptor. Low solubility of metal sulfides leads to precipitation of the sulfides in solution. The effects of microbiological sulfate reduction on in-situ precipitation of arsenic and copper were investigated for the heavy metal-contaminated soil around the Songcheon Au-Ag mine site. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb were 1,311 mg/kg, 146 mg/kg, and 294 mg/kg, respectively, after aqua regia digestion. In batch-type experiments, indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria rapidly decreased sulfate concentration and redox potential and led to substantial removal of dissolved As and Cu from solution. Optimal concentrations of carbon source and sulfate for effective microbial sulfate reduction were 0.2~0.5% (w/v) and 100~200 mg/L, respectively. More than 98% of injected As and Cu were removed in the effluents from both microbial and chemical columns designed for metal sulfides to be precipitated. However, after the injection of oxygen-rich solution, the microbial column showed the enhanced long-term stability of in-situ precipitated metals when compared with the chemical column which showed immediate increase in dissolved As and Cu due to oxidative dissolution of the sulfides. Black precipitates formed in the microbial column during the experiments and were identified as iron sulfide and copper sulfide. Arsenic was observed to be adsorbed on surface of iron sulfide precipitate.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 1983

The Yeonhwa (I, II) and Keodo mines, neighboring in the middle part of the Taebaegsan mineral belt, contain three distinct classes of skarn deposits: the zinc-lead skarn at Yeonhwa (I, II), the iron skarn at Keodo south (Jangsan orebodies), and the copper skarn at Keodo north (78 orebodies). The present study characterizes the three classes of skarn deposits mainly in terms of skarn/ore associations examined from chemical compositional point of view, and applies existing quantitative phase diagrams to some pertinent mineral assemblages in these mines. At Yeonhwa I the Wolam I orebody shows a vertical variation in skarn minerals ranging from clinopyroxene/garnet zone on the lower levels through clinopyroxene (without garnet) zone on the intermediate levels, and finally to rhodochrosite veins on the upper levels and surface. Ore minerals, sphalerite and galena, associate most closely with the intermediate clinopyroxene zone. At Keodo, the Jangsan iron skarn hosted in quartz monzodiolite as a typical endoskarn, shows a skarn zoning, from center of orebody to outer side, magnetite zone, magnetite/garnet zone, garnet clinopyroxene zone, and clinopyroxene/epidote/plagioclase zone. The 78 copper skarn in the Hwajeol limestone indicates a zoning, from quartz porphyry side toward limestone side, orthoclase/epidote zone, epidote/clinopyroxene zone, and clinopyroxene/garnet zone; chalcopyrite and other copper sulfides tend to be in clinopyroxene/garnet zone. Mioroprobe analyses of clinopyroxenes and garnets from the various skarn zones mentioned above revealed that the Yeonhwa zinc/lead skarns are characterized by johansenitic clinopyroxene (Hd 25-78, Jo 15-23) and manganoan andraditic garnet (Ad 13-97, Sp 1-24), whereas the Jangsan iron skarn at Keodo by Mn-poor diopsidic clinopyroxene (Di 78-93, Jo 0.2-1.0) and Mn-poor grossularitic grandite (Gr 65-77, Sp 0.5-1.0). The 78 copper skarn at Keodo is characterized by Mn-poor diopsidic-salite (Di 66-91, Jo 0.2-1.1) and Mn-poor andraditic grandite(Ad 40-74, Sp 0.5-1.1). The compositional charateristics of iron, copper, and zinc-lead skarns in the Yeonhwa-Keodo mines are in good correlations with those of the foreign counterparts. Compiling a $T-XCO_2$ phase diagram for the Jangsan endoskarns, a potential upper limit of temperature of the main stage of skarn formation is estimated to be about $530^{\circ}C$, and a lower limit to be $400^{\circ}C$ or below assuming $XCO_2=0.05$ at P total=1kb. Applying a published log $fS_2$-log $fo_2$ diagram to the Keodo 78 and Yeonhwa exoskarns, it is revealed that copper sulfides and zinc-lead sulfides do not co-exist stably below log $fS_2=-4$ and log $fO_2=-23$ at $T=400^{\circ}C$ and ${\times}CO=1$ atm.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.379-393
• /
• 1997

Geology of the Zbezkazgan copper deposit in Kazhkstan is mainly composed of Permian and Carboniferous sedimenary rocks in which copper minerals are mainly contained in grey sandstone of Carboniferous age. There are 28 layers of copper ore bodies in Zbezkazgan suite. Thickness of the ore bodies ranges from one to 35 meters, grade of the crude ore ranges from 2 to 5 wt % Cu and the extension of the orebodies is 5 to 7 km. Microscopic study on specimens from the Zbezkazgan ore deposit has exposed clues to understand the origin of this deposit. Alternatively deposited grey sandstone and red sandstone are mainly composed of quartz and feldspar grains. A big difference between the grey sandstone and the red sandstone is in grain size, the former is larger than the latter. Chalcocites as main copper minerals have cemented through grain boundary. It is assumed that quartz, feldspar and copper were derived from granitoid in which copper mineralization had taken place before exposing to weathering. The chalcocites were precipitated by a sudden change of geochemical condition (Eh, pH, temperature, etc.) of fluid which had carried quartz, feldspars, copper ions and sulphate during formation of grey sandstones. The copper ions and sulphate were stable in fluid during sedimentation of oxidation environment, however, the copper ions were no more stable at the reduced environment and changed to stable forms to precipitate copper minerals by reaction of copper ions and hydrogen sulfides. This chemical precipitation of copper minerals in the sandstone attributes to the assumption of hydrothermal origin on this sedimentary origined deposit.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.10
• /
• pp.609-616
• /
• 2008

Conventional bake-hardenable(BH) steels should be annealed at higher temperatures because of the addition of Ti or/and Nb which forms carbides and raises recrystallization start temperature. In this study, the development of new BH steels without Ti or Nb addition has been reviewed. The new BH steels have nearly same mechanical properties as the conventional BH steels even though it is annealed at lower temperature. The steels also show smaller deviation of the mechanical properties than that of the conventional BH steels because of the conarol of solute carbon content during steel making processes. The deviation of mechanical properties in conventional BH steels is directly dependent on the deviation of solute carbon which is greatly influenced by the amount of the carbide formers in conventional BH steels. Less alloy addition in the newly developed BH steels gives economical benefits. By taking the advantage of sulfur and/or nitrogen which scarenge in Interstitial-Free or conventional BH steels, fine manganese sulfides or nano size copper sulfides were designed to precipitate, and result in refined ferrite grains. Aluminum nitrides used as a precipitation hardening element in the developed steels were also and resull in fine and well dispersed. As a result, the developed steels with less production cost and reduced deviation of mechanical properties are under commercial production. Note that the developed BH steels are registered as a brand name of MAFE(R) and/or MAF-E(R).

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.14-20
• /
• 2006

During the 11 year period of 1995-2005, there was about a 40% increase in the world copper demand mainly because of the Asian economic growth. In the increase, about a half was consumed by China. Most of the China's copper demand increase has been taken place over the final 5-6 years of that period. The growth is expected to continue for several years, and in 10 years or sooner the same situation is expected for India. Copper is the third metal in global demand, but its little abundance in the Earth's crust is not well recognized. From the production rate and the abundance, a copper shortage, or crisis, has a high probability than the other metals. Deep ocean mineral resources such as manganese nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zones, Kuroko-type massive seafloor sulfides (SMS), and cobalt-rich manganese crusts in the EEZ and the high sea areas have big potentials for the future sources. We need to re-evaluate their potentials as copper resources and other metals to realize their developments. The same situation is under progress in the hydro-carbon markets. Methane hydrates that are classified into non-conventional hydro-carbon resources have an important role as the future sources, too.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.525-536
• /
• 2015

Trapiche project corresponds to the advanced exploration stage which is thought to be a part of various porphyry copper deposits occurring in the margin of Andahuyalas-Yauri metallogenic belt. This deposit is genetically related to the monzonitic porphyry intrusion and Oligocene breccia pipe. Mineralization consists of primary sulfides such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, and molybdenite and secondary sulfides such as chalcocite, covellite and digenite. It occurs malachite, tenorite and cuprite as copper oxide. As a result of lixiviation or enrichment process, mineralization shows untypical zonation structure. Breccia and porphyry areas characterize the vertical zonation patterns. In the northern area, lixiviation zone, secondary enrichment zone, transitional zone and primary mineralized zone are distributed in northern area. In the western area of deposit, oxidation zone and mixed zones are narrowly occurred. Inferred resources of deposit is estimated to be 920 Mt @ 0.41% Cu with the cut-off grade of 0.15%.

• 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 the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.219-228
• /
• 2013

To understand characteristics of biogeochemical corrosion for the metal canisters that usually contain the radioactive wastes for a long-term period below the ground, some metal materials consisting of cast iron and copper were reacted for 3 months with D. desulfuricans, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, under a reducing condition. During the experiment, concentrations of dissolved metal ions were periodically measured, and then metal specimen and surface secondary products were examined using the electron microscopy to know the chemical and mineralogical changes of the original metal samples. The metal corrosion was not noticeable at the absence of D. desulfuricans, but it was relatively greater at the presence of the bacterium. In our experiment, darkish metal sulfides such as mackinawite and copper sulfide were the final products of biogeochemical metal corrosion, and they were easily scaled off the original specimen and suspended as colloids. For the copper specimen, in particular, there appeared an accelerated corrosion of copper in the presence of dissolved iron and bacteria in solution, probably due to a weakening of copper-copper binding caused by a growth of other phase, iron sulfide, on the copper surface.

• 한국정보컨버전스학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.99-102
• /
• 2008

Mineralogical studies of ore and alteration minerals have been conducted for the Hugo Dummett porphyry copper deposit. The Hugo Dummett porphyry copper gold deposit is located in the South Gobi region, Mongolia and currently being explored. This deposit divided into the Cu-rich Hugo Dummett South and the Cu-Au-rich Hugo Dummett North deposits. The Hugo Dummett deposits contain 1.08% copper(1.16 billion tonnes in total) and 0.23 g/t gold(Oyunchimeg et al., 2006). Copper-gold mineralization at these deposit are centered on a high-grade copper(typically>2.5%) and gold(0.5-2 g/t) zone of intense quartz stockwork veining. The high grade copper and gold zone is mainly within the Late Devonian quartz monzodiorite intrusions and augite basalt, also locally occurs in dacitic rocks. Intense quartz veining forms a lens up to 100 m wide hosted by augite basalt and partly by quartz monzodiorite. Although many explorations have been carried out, only a few scientific works were done in the Oyu Tolgoi mining area. Therefore the nature of copper-gold mineralization and orgin of the deposit is not fully understood. Copper-gold mineralization in the Hugo Dummett deposits occurs in dominantly quartz monzodiorite and minor augite basalt, dacitic rocks and locally biotite granodiorite. Chalcopyrite, pyrite, bornite, molybdenite, tennantite, tetrahedrite, enargite, sphalerite, chalcocite, covellite, eugenite, galena and gold occur as main ore minerals in the Hugo Dummett North and South deposits. These sulfides occur as: (1) a vague vein-like trail 1-3cm long and 2-3 mm wide, (2) minute, discontinuous cracks within quartz(micron scales), and (3) irregular blebs/spots(micron scales)and (4) disseminated within the sericite and plagioclase, commonly concentrated in the quartz. Sulfide minerals commonly display as a replacement, intergrown and minor exsolution texture in the both of the Hugo Dummet deposits.