• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 2014

Quaternary basaltic rocks occur as volcanic plateau and/or river cliff in the watershed area of Hantan River in Jeongok, central Korea. We measured $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ ages for the basaltic rocks from Jeongok area using the multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer and laser heating device introduced for the first time in Korea. The basaltic rocks from the river cliff in Eundae-ri area show the systematic change in $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ ages from $0.54{\pm}0.07Ma$ through $0.48{\pm}0.01Ma$ to $0.12{\pm}0.01Ma$ toward the top. The other sample from Jeongok-ri area yields the age of $0.43{\pm}0.04Ma$. This results suggest that there might be a episodic volcanic eruption between 0.12-0.54 Ma in Jeongok area.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.174-181
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• 2022

Biomass is a sustainable alternative resource for production of liquid fuels and organic compounds that are currently produced from fossil fuels including petroleum, natural gas, and coal. Because the use of fossil fuels can increase the production of greenhouse gases, the use of carbon-neutral biomass can contribute to the reduction of global warming. Although biological and chemical processes have been proposed to produce petroleum-replacing chemicals and fuels from biomass feedstocks, it is difficult to replace completely fossil fuels because of the high oxygen content of biomass. Production of petroleum-like fuels and chemicals from biomass requires the removal of oxygen atoms or conversion of the oxygen functionalities present in biomass derivatives, which can be achieved by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. Hydrodeoxygenation has been used to convert raw biomass-derived materials, such as biomass pyrolysis oils and lignocellulose-derived chemicals and lipids, into deoxygenated fuels and chemicals. Multifunctional catalysts composed of noble metals and transition metals supported on high surface area metal oxides and carbons, usually selected as supports of heterogeneous catalysts, have been used as efficient hydrodeoxygenation catalysts. In this review, the catalysts proposed in the literature are surveyed and hydrodeoxygenation reaction systems using these catalysts are discussed. Based on the hydrodeoxygenation methods reported in the literature, an insight for feasible hydrodeoxygenation process development is also presented.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-111
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• 2012

This study investigated the relationship between the geochemical environment and the occurrence of natural radioactive materials (uranium and Rn-222) in borehole groundwater at an Icheon site. The drill core recovered from the study site consists mainly of biotite granite with basic dykes. The groundwater samples were collected at four different depths in the borehole using the double-packed system. The pH range of the groundwater was 6.5~8.6, and the chemical type was Ca-$HCO_3$. The ranges of uranium and Rn-222 concentrations in the groundwater were 8.81~1,101 ppb and 5,990~11,970 pCi/L, respectively, and concentrations varied greatly with depth and collection time. The ranges of uranium and thorium contents in drill core were 0.53~18.3 ppm and 6.66~17.5 ppm, respectively. Microscope observations and electron microprobe analyses revealed the presence of U and Th as substituted elements for major composition of monazite, ilmenite, and apatite within K-feldspar and biotite. Although the concentration of uranium and thorium in the drill core was not high, the groundwater contained a high level of natural radioactive materials. This finding indicates that physical factors, such as the degree of fracturing of an aquifer and the groundwater flow rate, have a greater influence on the dissolution of radioactive materials than does the geochemical condition of the groundwater and rock. The origin of Rn-222 can be determined indirectly, using an interrelationship diagram of noble gas isotopes ($^3He/^4He$ and $^4He/^{20}Ne$).

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.163-178
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• 2011

A test borehole was drilled in the Cheongwon area to investigate the relationship between geochemical environment and the natural occurrence of radioactive materials (uranium and Rn-222) in borehole groundwater. The borehole encountered mainly biotite schist and biotite granite, with minor porphyritic granite and basic dykes. Six groundwater samples were collected at different depths in the borehole using the double-packed system. The groundwater pH ranges from 5.66 to 8.34, and the chemical type of the groundwater is Ca-$HCO_3$. The contents of uranium and Rn-222 in the groundwater are 0.03-683 ppb and 1,290-7,600 pCi/L, respectively. The contents of uranium and thorium in the rocks within the borehole are 0.51-23.4 ppm and 0.89-62.6 ppm, respectively. Microscope observations of the rock core and analyses by electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) show that most of the radioactive elements occur in the biotite schist, within accessory minerals such as monazite and limenite in biotite, and in feldspar and quartz. The high uranium content of groundwater at depths of -50 to -70 m is due to groundwater chemistry (weakly alkaline pH, an oxidizing environment, and high concentrations of bicarbonate). The origin of Rn-222 could be determined by analyzing noble gas isotopes (e.g., $^3He/^4He$ and $^4He/^{20}Ne$).