• Title/Summary/Keyword: ore metals

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A Geochemical Study on Relationship between Granites and Metallogenic Provinces in the Yucheon Basin (유천분지내 화강암류와 광상구의 관계에 대한 지화학적 연구)

  • Lee, Jae Yeong;Kim, Sang Wook;Kim, Young Ki;Koh, In Seok;Chang, Tae Woo
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.143-159
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    • 1990
  • There is clear difference in content of the major and trace elements between Masan granites of Cu province and Yucheon-Eonyang granites of Pb-Zn province in the Yucheon Basin: the former has low content in K(2.08%), Na(2.42%) and Rb (127ppm), and high content in Ca(3.75%), Mg(1.42%) and Sr(304ppm) whereas the latter has high content in K(3.56-3.60%), Na(3.05-3.06%) and Rb(144-161ppm), and low content in Ca(0.62-0.96), Mg(0.21-0.26%) and Sr(136-157ppm). Ore metals in granites also show slight difference between two areas: Masan granites have slightly higher Cu content(18ppm) than Yucheon-Eonyang granites(13, 14ppm), whereas Yucheon granite(29ppm) has slightly higher Pb content than Masan granites(25ppm). Thus, it may be possible to apply geochemical difference of the granites to distinguish whether a Cretaceous granite mass is related to copper or lead-zinc mineralization, and whether it belongs Cu-province or Pb-Zn province in the Yucheon Basin.

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Geochemical Exploration for a Potential Estimation on the Carlin-type Gold Mineralization in Northern Mt. Taebaek Mining District, Korea (태백산 광화대 북부에서 칼린형 금광화작용 부존 잠재력 평가를 위한 지구화학 탐사)

  • Sung, Kyu-Youl;Park, Maeng-Eon;Yun, Seong-Taek;Moon, Young-Hwan;Yoo, In-Kol;Kim, Ryang-Hee;Shin, Jong-Ki;Kim, Eui-Jun
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.40 no.5
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    • pp.537-549
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    • 2007
  • The characteristics of the mineralization and geology in the northern Mt. Taebaek mining district are found to be similar with those reported from Nevada district where the Carlin-type gold deposit occurs characteristically as repeated metallic ore deposits in space and time. Though two spots of hs and several spots of Sb anomalies were recognized in the Yeongweol area, they have no relationship with any metalliferous mineralization. On the other hand, two spots of As anomaly in the Jeongseon area have shown to be related with metalliferous ore deposits (mainly Ag-Au), and they are closely associated with Sb anomaly. Some elements of altered limestones in the study such as Au, Ag, As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mo area are closely associated together, and are more enriched in the Jeongseon area than in the Yeongweol area. In particular, Sb and As which may reflect the occurrence of the Carlin-type gold deposit are highly enriched. However, the base metals such af Zn and Pb are highly variable according to samples. The patterns of the enrichment factor for Sb and As, as well as those for Ag and Au, are very similar with those reported from the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada. These similarities in elemental distribution may imply that hydrothermal ore mineralization in the study areas was possibly originated from a fluid with the characteristics of the Carlin-type gold mineralization found in Nevada, China, and Indonesia. However, the pattern of base metals and Mo are different. This may result from different chemistry and/or mineralogy of host rock in the study areas.

Current Status of Pyrometallurgical Process for the Reclamation of Urban Ore (도시광석(都市鑛石) 재자원화(再資源化)를 위한 건식공정(乾式工程)의 현황(現況))

  • Kim, Byung-Su;Lee, Jae-Chun;Shin, Do-Yeoun;Jeoung, Jin-Ki;Rhee, Kang-In;Sohn, Jeong-Soo;Yang, Dong-Hyo;Kim, Min-Seuk;Kim, Soo-Kyung
    • Resources Recycling
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.3-8
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    • 2012
  • In the points of the environmental conservation and the recirculating utilization of limited resources, it is very important to recover valuable metals like Au, Ag, Pd, Cu, Sn, Ni, Co, and Li used as industrial raw materials from urban ores. From now, many processes have been developed for recovering the valuable metals contained in urban ores and some of them have been operated commercially. In the paper, pyrometallurgical processes developed for reclaiming valuable metals from urban ores will be briefly introduced.

The Transition of Production, Consumption and Price of Non-ferrous Metals (비철금속(非鐵金屬)의 생산(生産), 소비(消費), 시세(時勢)의 추이(推移))

  • Moon, W.J.
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.1-25
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    • 1969
  • In considering the mining industry, it is necessary to study the production, consumption and price of ore and metals in every country of the world in order to determine the trend of the industry in the present and for the future. This study is necessary especially for exporting domestically produced are which is in excess of domestic consumption and for importing are, or metal where local production does not meet domestic demand. It will be treated of Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn, W, Mo, which are the most important non-ferrous metals, and which greatly affect the mining industry of Korea. The presentation will concern itself only with the free world. About 1, 200 ton of gold are produced annually with little fluctiation in recent years. Most of the gold produced is consumed by advanced countries for industrial uses as well as for producing precious objects. The U.S.A. expends yearly about four times its domestic production and Japan about three times its domestic production for industry and arts. Because of the instability of the currency of the U.S.A., England and France, recently, the price of gold has been $ 41-42 per ounce, whereas the official price is $35.00 per ounce. It will be expected that the official price will be raised in the near future. As for silver, about 6,500 tons are produced annually with no special fluctuation change in recent years. However, the annual consumption is about 14,000 ton, so the supply and demand is extremely unbalanced. The shortage is made up by the sale of the U.S. treasury's reserve stock and the reclaiminig of silver from coins and other scrap. As the Treasury'S reserves will be exhausted in a year or two, the price of silver which is $1. 64 per ounce, will go up drastically in about a year. As for copper, 5,257,000 ton's were mined in 1966. It's production is being increased about 5% annually. However, consumption exceeds production by about 100,000 ton a year. The recent Foreign refinery copper price in the U.S.A is $ 60 per pound. The supply of copper being insufficient to meet international demands, the price will go up and with no prospect of being lowered in the near future even with the slight annual increase in production. About 2,100,000 to 2,200,000 tons of lead are produced annually. Consumption exceeds production by about 50,000-60,000 tons annually. The current price of lead in New York is $ 155 per pound. As the supply of lead is internationally stable, It will be believed that there will be no significant change in its price in the near future. In 1967, 3,926,000 tons of Zinc were produced. There is annual increase of 4-7% in production. The annual consumption exceeds production by 100,000 to 200,000 tons. The current zinc price in the St. Louis market inthe U.S.A. is $ 145 per pound. Even though its supply is stable and sufficient world wide, the consumption rate will increase at a faster pace than before; hence, the price will slowly go up. Tungsten mines yield about 11,000 tons a year. Its production has been relatively constant in the past few years. The amount of its consumption increases slowly world wide, but in the free world· there has been a slight annual decrease. However, since Red China has not been exporting their tungsten to other countries for several months, the price on the London market of S.T.U. of $Wo_3$ has increased to $ 44~46. Should Red China begin to export actively again the price will drop to $ 40~42. In 1967, 56,000 tons of Molybdenum were produced. Production exceeds consumption by 200,000 -30,000 tons annually. The current price in the U.S.A. is $ 1.72 per Mo pound. Since the rate of production in the U.S.A. is on the increase with large amounts of ore reserve, the price of molubdenum should not go up.

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A Mineralogical Study on the Arsenic Behavior in the Tailings of Nakdong Mine (낙동광산의 광미 내 비소 거동에 대한 광물학적 연구)

  • Lee, Woo-Chun;Cho, Hyen-Goo;Kim, Young-Ho;Kim, Soon-Oh
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.359-370
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    • 2009
  • Arsenic and heavy metals leached out as a result of oxidation of tailings exposed to the surface pose a serious environmental contamination of mine areas. This study investigated how arsenic behavior is controlled by a variety of processes, such as oxidation of sulfides and formation or alteration of secondary minerals, based on mineralogical methods. The study was carried out using the tailing samples obtained from Nakdong mine located in Jeongseongun, Gangwondo. After separating magnetic and non-magnetic minerals using pretreated tailing samples, each mineral sample was classified according to their colors and metallic lusters observed by the stereoscopic microscope. Subsequently, the mineralogical properties were determined using various instrumental analyses, such as x-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). The literature review confirmed that various ore minerals were identified in the Nakdong ore deposits. In this study, however, there were observed a few original ore minerals as well as secondary and/or tertiary minerals newly formed as a result of weathering including oxidation. In particular, we did not recognize pyrrhotite which has been known to originally exist in a large abundance, but peculiarly colloform-type iron (oxy)hydroxides were identified, which indicates most of pyrrhotite has been altered by rapid weathering due to its large reactivity. In addition, a secondary scorodites filling the fissure of weathered primary arsenopyrites were identified, and it is speculated that arsenic is immobilized through such a alteration reaction. Also, we observed tertiary iron (oxy)hydroxides were formed as a result of re-alteration of secondary jarosites, and it suggests that the environment of tailing has been changed to high pH from low pH condition which was initiated and developed by oxidation reactions of diverse primary ore minerals. The environmental change is mainly attributed to interactions between secondary minerals and parental rocks around the mine. As a result, not only was the stability of secondary minerals declined, but tertiary minerals were newly formed. As such a process goes through, arsenic which was immobilized is likely to re-dissolve and disperse into surrounding environments.

Introduction of Several Albitite-greisen Type Deposits of Korea (한국 알비타이트-그라이젠형 광상의 소개)

  • Yoo, Jang Han;Koh, Sang Mo;Moon, Dong Hyeok
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.221-231
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    • 2012
  • Uljin cassiterite deposit had been known to be a pegmatitic origin derived from the Wangpiri (Buncheon) granitic gneiss of Precambrian period. Lithium ore also shows the same origin and its lithium bearing mineral was ascertained to be a taeniolite. But the presence of leucocratic granites which played the role of host rocks haven't been clearly designated yet in these provinces. Even though Bonghwa and Youngweol sericite deposits situated in the vicinities of Hambaeg syncline had been known to have their host rocks as Hongjesa Granites of Precambrian period and Pegmatitic migmatite of unknown age respectively. But younger leucocratic granites are characterized by more amounts of albite and sericite (muscovite-3T type) than those of the older granitic rocks which contain plenty of biotite and chlorites. Although the younger granites show rather higher contents of alkalies such as $Na_2O$ (0.13~8.03 wt%) and $K_2O$ (1.71~6.38 wt%), but CaO (0.05~1.21 wt%) is very deficient due to the albitization and greisenization. Manisan granite, which is assumed to be Daebo granite which intruded the Gyunggi Gneiss Complex was again intruded by leucocratic granite whose microclinized part changed into kaolins. Taebaegsan region shows a wide distribution of carbonate rocks which are especially favorable to the ore depositions. And the presence of alkali granites which formed in the later magmatic evolution are well known to be worthwhile to the prospections of various rare metals and REEs resources.

The Characteristics of Heavy Metal Contamination in Tailings and Soils in the Vicinity of the Palbong Mine, Korea (팔봉광산 선광광미와 주변토양의 중금속 오염 특성)

  • 이영엽;정재일;권영호
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.34 no.3
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    • pp.271-281
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    • 2001
  • The characteristics of the heavy metal contamination in the soils affected by the tailings of the Palbong mine have been studied. The soils in the studied area consist mostly of loam by the particle size analysis, but a little of it, located near the stream, consist of loamy sand to sandy loam, finally to loam downward. The organic contents of soils are significantly low aoom 2 percent and the pH is in acidic ranging 6.0 $\pm$ 0.1. The samples of the parent rocks, the normal soils, the tailings and the channel deposits from the studied area were chemically analysed. From the result, the heavy metal concenlration of the soils is a little Jow compared with that of the parent rocks, shows the hydrologic process of the surface and the groundwater. The contamination of the tailings from the ore mining are high in lead, copper and arsenic. In the channel deposits the concenlrations of lead and copper are abnormally high but that of arsenic is uniquely low. And most of heavy metal contamination are decreased with the distance from the mine. It is caused by the properties of the surface and the ground water during the process of the heavy metal migration. The correlation-coefficient between sand and silt contents and the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb are significant but the amounts of As and Hg are increased with the clay contents. The dispersion of the heavy metals with the distance shows that the concentrations of them in the soils sampled at distance of 100 m to 200 m along the stream started near the Palbong mine are extremely high compared with those from other distances. These discrepancies are significant in Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg, but low in As. All the samples contain below detection limit of Cr+6 In the present stream water the concentrations of the heavy metals are not detected. So, it is interpreted that the concentrations in the soils are caused by the activities of the mining during the operation and have been continued by the dispersion from the tailings since after the closure of the mining, especially by the surface and ground water. The concentrations are diminished with the distance from the mining site, but in the interval of 800-2000 m increases abruptly. In the soil samples counted on the dispersion direction by wind, the lowering of the concentration is relatively uniform with the distance from the mining site. So, the rapid increase of the heavy metal concentrations is presumed to have been caused by the ground-water movement. In the migration of the heavy metals, the groundwater conditions, such as pH, Eh, the contents of colloidal particles, and Mn and Fe oxides are closely involveo. Integrating with these factors, it is interpreted that the groundwater conditions which have caused the heavy metal contamination of the studied area are those that the pH is about 3 in oxidized conditions, the contents of the colloidal particles are low, and Mn and Fe oxides are not involved in the migration of the heavy metals. Meanwhile, the vegetables growing on the soils in the studied area are not affected by the contamination of the heavy metals.

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Effect of Metal Ions on Iron Oxidation Rate of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans Used in a Bioleaching Process (Bioleaching에 사용되는 Thiobacillus ferrooxidans의 철산화 속도에 미치는 금속 이온의 영향)

  • 최문성;조경숙
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.54-60
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    • 2001
  • The activity of microorganisms is an important factor that determines the efficiency of the bacterial recovery of precious metals from low-grade ore. Metal-leaching microorganisms must have a tolerance, within the concentration levels encountered to leached metals. In this study, the tolerance levels of Thiobacillus ferroxidans to the single and mixed metal ions systems, composed of $Zn^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, and $Cd^{2+}$ were investigated. When single metal ions of $Zn^{2+}$ (10~60 g/L), $Cu^{2+}$ (1~6 g/L), $Ni^{2+}$ (1~6 g/L), or $Cd^{2+}$ (1~6 g/L) were added to the growth medium of T. ferrooxidans, the iron oxidation rate of this bacterium was not significantly inhibited. The maximum inhibition percentage observed on the iron oxidation rate of T. ferrooxidans was approximately 50% in the medium supplemented with two or three mixed metal ions of $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, and $Cd^{2+}$. However, when $Zn^{2+}$ was also added to the medium with the other metal ions, the inhibitory effect on the iron oxidation activity of T. ferroxidans was remarkably increased.

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Spectral Induced Polarization Response Charaterization of Pb-Zn Ore Bodies at the Gagok mine (가곡광산 연-아연 광체의 광대역유도분극 반응 특성)

  • Shin, Seungwook;Park, Samgyu;Shin, Dongbok
    • Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.247-252
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    • 2014
  • Gagok Mine, which is skarn deposits, includes sulfide minerals such as sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. To explore these minerals, spectral induced polarization (SIP) is relatively effective compared to other geophysical exploration methods because there is a strong IP effect caused by electrode polarization. In the SIP, the chargeability related to sulfide mineral contents and the time constant related to the grain size of the minerals are obtained. For this reason, we aim to compare difference in the mineralized characteristics between two orebodies in the Gagok Mine by using the chargeability and the time constant. For this study, we sampled ores from the south of Wolgok orebody and the north of Sungok orebody. In order to recognize the mineralization characteristics, the metal content of the samples was measured by a potable XRF and the SIP data of the samples were acquired by using a laboratory SIP measurement system. As a result, the metals in the samples such as Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe were detected by the portable XRF measurement. In particular, the Fe and Zn contents were far higher than the other metals. The Fe and the Zn were caused by the sphalerite and the pyrrhotite through microscopy. The Wolgok orebody had higher sulfide mineral contents than the Sungok orebody and the result corresponded with the chargeability result. However, we considered that the Sungok orebody had a larger sulfide mineral grain size than the Wolgok orebody because the time constant of the Sungok orebody was larger.

Environmental Geochemistry and Heavy Matel Contamination of Ground and Surface Water, Soil and Sediment at the Kongjujuil Mine Creek, Korea (공주제일광산 수계에 분포하는 지하수, 지표수, 토양 및 퇴적물의 환경지구화학적 특성과 중금속 오염)

  • 이찬희
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.32 no.6
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    • pp.611-631
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    • 1999
  • Enviromental geochemisty and heary metal contamination at the Kongjueil mine creek were underaken on the basis of physicohemical properties and mineralogy for various kinds of water (surface, mine and ground water),soil, precipitate and sediment collected of April and December in 1998. Hydrgeochemical composition of the water samples are characterized by relatively significant enricant of Ca+Na, alkiali ions $NO_3$ and Cl inground and surfore water, wheras the mine waters are relatively eneripheral water of the mining creek have the characteristics of the (Ca+Mg)-$(HCO_3+SO_4)$type. The pH of the mine water is high acidity (3.24)and high EC (613$\mu$S/cm)compared with those of surface and ground water. The range of $\delta$D and $\delta^{18}O$ values (relative to SMOW) in the waters are shpwn in -50.2 to -61.6% and -7.0 to -8.6$\textperthousand$(d value=5.8 to 8.7). Using computer program, saturation index of albite, calcite, dolomite in mine water are nearly saturated. The gibbiste, kaolinite and smectite are superaturated in the surface and ground water, respectively. Calculated water-mineral reaction and stabilities suggest that weathing of silicate minerals may be stable kaolinite owing to the continuous water-rock reaction. Geochemical modeling showed that mostly toxic heavy metals may exist larfely in the from of metal-sulfate $(MSO_4\;^2)$and free metal $(M^{2+})$ in nmine water. These metals in the ground and surface water could be formed of $CO_3$ and OH complex ions. The average enrichment indices of water samples are 2.72 of the groundwater, 2.26 of the surface water and 14.15 of the acid mine water, normalizing by surface water composition at the non-mining creek, repectively. Characteristics of some major, minor and rate earth elements (Al/Na, K/Na, V/Ni, Cr/V, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, $La_N/Yb_N$, Co/Th, La/Sc and Sc/Th) in soil and sediment are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by acidic to intermediate igneous rocks. And these suggested that sediment source of host granitic gneiss colud be due to rocks of high grade metamorphism originated by sedimentary rocks. Maximum concentrations of environmentally toxic elements in sediment and soil are Fe=53.80 wt.% As=660, Cd=4, Cr=175, Cu=158, Mn=1010, Pb=2933, Sb=4 and Zn=3740 ppm, and extremely high concentrations are found are found in the subsurface soil near the ore dump and precipitates. Normalizing by composition of host granitic gneiss, the average enerichment indices are 3.72 of the sediments, 3.48 of the soils, 10.40 of the precipitates of acid mine drainage and 6.25 of the soils near the main adit. The level of enerichment was very severe in mining drainage sediments, while it was not so great in the soils. mineral composition of soil and sediment near the mining area were partly variable being composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, vermiculite, bethierin and clay minerals. reddish variable being composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, vermiculite, bethierin and clay minerals. Reddish brown precipitation mineral in the acid mine drainage identifies by schwertmanite. From the separated mineralgy, soil and sediment are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, malachite, goethite and various kinds of hydroxied minerals.

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