• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.297-302
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• 2011

Acid drainage generated by pyrite oxidation has caused the acidification of soil and surface water, the heavy metal contamination and the corrosion of structures in abandoned mine and construction sites. The applicability of Na-acetate (Na-OAc) buffer and/or Na-silicate solution was tested for suppressing pyrite oxidation by reacting pyrite containing rock and treating solution and by analyzing solution chemistry after the reaction. A finely ground Mesozoic andesite containing 10.99% of pyrite and four types of reacting solutions were used in the applicability test: 1) $H_2O_2$, 2) $H_2O_2$ and Na-silicate, 3) $H_2O_2$ and 0.01M Na-OAc buffer at pH 6.0, and 4) $H_2O_2$, Na-silicate and 0.01M Na-OAc buffer at pH 6.0. The pH in the solution after the reaction with the andesite sample and the solutions was decreased with increasing the initial $H_2O_2$ concentration but the concentrations of Fe and $SO_4^{2-}$ were increased 10 - 20 times. However, the pH of the solution after the reaction increased and the concentrations of Fe and $SO_4^{2-}$ decreased in the presence of Na-acetate buffer and with increasing Na-silicate concentration at the same $H_2O_2$ concentration. The solution chemistry indicates that Na-OAc buffer and Na-silicate suppress the oxidation of pyrite due to the formation of Fe-hydroxide and Fe-silicate complex and their coating on the pyrite surface. The effect of Na-OAc buffer and Na-silicate on reduction of pyrite oxidation was also confirmed with the surface examination of pyrite using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The result of this study implies that the treatment of pyrite containing material with the Na-OAc buffer and Na-silicate solution reduces the generation of acid drainage.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.295-301
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• 2001

The leaching effect of Thiobacillus ferrooxidance (ATCC 19859) upon polished pyrite ore in 9K medium at $30^{circ}C$ for 30 days was investigated. The surface atomic ratios for Fe, S, Al, Si, and Cu were analyzed by EPMA using fresh and leached samples. The atomic ratio of Fe and S were changed to Fe rich phase as leaching progressed over 13 days but the Fe/S ratio became constant between 13 and 30 days. SEM imaging showed that $10\mum$ oblong shapes formed on the surface after 13 days and that these further developed until 23 days. Fe, S and K atomic ratios were analyzed by SEM-EDS.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2016

Mine tailings generated during mining activity often contain high concentrations of heavy metals, with pyrite-containing mine tailings in particular being a major cause of environmental problems in mining areas. Chemical cell technology, or fuel cell technology, can be applied to leach heavy metals in pyrite-containing mine tailings. As pyrite dissolves through spontaneous oxidation (i.e. galvanic oxidation) in the anode compartment of the cell, $Fe^{3+}$, sulfuric acid are generated. A decrease in pH due to the generation of sulfuric acid allows heavy metals to be leached from pyrite-containing mine tailings. In this study, pyrite was dissolved for 4 weeks at $23^{\circ}C$ in an acidic solution (pH 2) and in a galvanic reactor, which induces galvanic oxidation, and total Fe leached from pyrite and pH were compared in order to investigate if galvanic oxidation can facilitate pyrite oxidation. The change in the pyrite surface was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Comparing the total Fe leached from the pyrite, there were 2.9 times more dissolution of pyrite in the galvanic reactor than in the acidic solution, and thus pH was lower in the galvanic reactor than in the acidic solution. Through SEM analysis of the pyrite that reacted in the galvanic reactor, linear-shaped cracks were observed on the surface of the pyrite. The study results show that pyrite dissolution was facilitated through the galvanic oxidation in the galvanic reactor, and also implied that the galvanic oxidation can be one remediation option for pyrite-containing mine tailings.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.46-52
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• 2010

Acid mine drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to an oxidizing environment. The objective of this study was to inhibit the oxidation of pyrite by applying various coating agent such as $KH_2PO_4$, MgO and $KMnO_4$ over its surface as an oxidation inhibitors. Experiments were conducted for 8 days to test the feasibility of oxidation inhibitors. The optimal condition of coating agent for standard pyrite and IK mine was the combination of 0.01M $KH_2PO_4$, 0.01M NaOAc and 0.01M NaClO. Otherwise, for YD mine the combination of 0.01M $KMnO_4$, 0.01M NaOAc and 0.01M NaClO. The $SO_4^{2-}$ reduction efficiency of pyrite, IK and YD mine samples was 70, 92 and 84%, respectively. For 8 days, no significant increase of $SO_4^{2-}$ from pyrite sample coated with inhibitor was observed. The pH of solution remains in between 4 to 6 for the reaction conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2006

Acid drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to an oxidizing environment. The objective of this study was to examine the optimum condition for creating a phosphate coating on standard pyrite surfaces for reduction of pyrite oxidation. The solution of $10^{-2}M\;KH_2PO_4\;10^{-2}M\;H_2O_2$ pH 6 was identified as the best phosphate coating agent for the reduction of pyrite oxidation. The formation of an iron phosphate coating on pyrite surfaces was confirmed with ore microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The temperature did not significantly affect on the formation of phosphate coating on the surface of pyrite. However, the phosphate coating was less stable at higher temperature than at lower temperature. The phosphate coating was quitely stable at wide range of pH and $H_2O_2$ concentration. The less than 3.4% of phosphate was dissolved at pH 2.79 and 10.64 and less than 1.0% of phosphate was dissolved at 0.1M $H_2O_2$. On the basis of these results, the phosphate coating can effectively reduce the negative environmental of acid rock drainage.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.254-261
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• 2000

A bacterial leaching was conducted for pyrite with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans(ATcC 19859) and Thiobacillus KY isolated from acid mine water around Kwangyang area to characterize the surface of substrate as reaction progress at the optimum condition under 9K medium for 3- days. It was found that the surface crystallinity changes referred to hkl plane was observed for 20 days leached by T. ferrooxidans similar changes also observed for 10 days leached pyrite by Thiobacillus KY. Based on he results of SEM-EDS the atomic ratios of Fe, S and Si on the surface were changed to sulfur rich phase but exposed Si ratio decreased from 16.94% to 4.85% during 30days mainly due to reprecipitating of Fe and S as a mixed compound.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2011

A batch experiment of pyrite oxidation was performed and the surfaces of the reacted pyrite were regularly observed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) together with the chemical compositions of the solution to help understand the oxidation mechanisms of pyrite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Af). The dissolved Fe concentrations clearly indicated that Af experiences the lag and then exponential growth phase. An Af cell was observed to be attached to the surface of pyrite during the lag, implying that a direct leaching by the microbe really happens for the period. It is not certain, however, whether the main mechanism of pyrite oxidation during that time was the direct leaching or not, because there were just a few cells confirmed to be attached and most of the dissolved Fe was Fe(III). The dissolved Fe concentration stayed almost constant from the mid-lag phase to just before the onset of the exponential phase, suggesting that AI needs an adaptation time to switch its oxidation mechanism from one to the other whichever it is during that stage of growth. The moment of Af's cell division was observed by SEM on the surface of pyrite during the lag phase. The corrosion outline around the dividing cell was quite similar to the shape of the cell itself, which implies that the rate of the microbial oxidation is very uneven and the rate when the cell metabolizes should be much faster than that calculated from the concentration variation of the dissolved Fe. The number of etch holes by Af is much higher on the inoculated surfaces, indicating the average rate of pyrite oxidation is also much faster than that of abiotic oxidation. The microbial etch holes on pyrite surface are small and deep, which may influence the transition of the growth phases of Af from lag to exponential.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.109-121
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• 2010

The bioleaching experiment under $42^{\circ}C$ was effectively carried out to leach the more valuable element ions from the pyrite in the Gangyang mine waste. Bacteria can survive at this temperature, as indigenous acidophilic bacteria were collected in the Hatchobaru acidic hot spring, in Japan. To enhance the bacterial activity, yeast extract was added to the pyrite-leaching medium. The indigenous acidophilic bacteria appeared to be rod-shaped in the growth-medium which contained elemental sulfur and yeast extract. The rod-shaped bacteria ($0.7\times2.6\;{\mu}m$, $0.6\times7\;{\mu}m$, $0.8\times5\;{\mu}m$ and $0.7\times8.4\;{\mu}m$) were attached to the pyrite surface. The colonies of the rod-shaped bacteria were selectively attached to the surroundings of a hexagonal cavity and the inner wall of the hexagonal cavity, which developed on a pyrite surface. Filament-shaped bacteria ranging from $4.92\;{\mu}m$ to $10.0\;{\mu}m$ in length were subsequently attached to the surrounding cracks and inner wall of the cracks on the pyrite surface. In the XRD analysis, the intensity of (111), (311), (222) and (320) plane on the bacteria pyrite sample relatively decreased in plane on the control pyrite sample, whereas the intensity of (200), (210) and (211) increased in these samples. The microbiological leaching content of Fe ions was found to be 3.4 times higher than that of the chemical leaching content. As for the Zn, microbiological leaching content, it was 2 times higher than the chemical leaching content. The results of XRD analysis for the bioleaching of pyrite indicated that the indigenous acidophilic bacteria are selectively attacked on the pyrite specific plane. It is expected that the more valuable element ions can be leached out from the mine waste, if the temperature is increased in future bioleaching experiments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.1 s.176
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• pp.75-82
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• 2006

Acid drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to an oxidizing environment. The objective of this study was to examine the optimum condition for creating a phosphate coating on standard pyrite surfaces for reduction of pyrite oxidation. The solution of $10^{-2}M\;KH_2PO_4,\;10^{-2}M\;H_2O_2$ was identified as the best phosphate coating agent for the reduction of pyrite oxidation. The formation of an iron phosphate coating on pyrite surfaces was confirmed with ore microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The temperature did not significantly affect the formation of phosphate coating on the surface of pyrite. However, the phosphate coating was less stable at higher temperature than at lower temperature. The phosphate coating was quitely stable at wide range of pH and $H_2O_2$ concentration. The less than $3.4\%$ of phosphate was dissolved at pH 2.79 and 10.64 and less than $1.0\%$ of phosphate was dissolved at 0.1M $H_2O_2$. On the basis of these results, the phosphate coating can effectively reduce the negative environmental impact of acid rock drainage.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 1993

This study investigated the behaviour of sulfur species after the early diegenetic reduction of sulfate from pore solution in an anoxic intertidal flat deposit in the Banweol area of Kyeong-gi Bay, west coast of Korea. A total of seven sediment cores were collected during 1990∼1992 and were analyzed for their solid-phase sulfur species (acid-volatile sulfur, element sulfur, pyrite sulfur) as well as for chemical components in the pore solution, such as sulfate, ammonium, hydrogen sulfide, phosphate and Fe ion. The pore water sulfate oncentration was found to decrease rapidly downward from the sediment surface, while that of hydrogen sulfide, ammonium and phosphate showed and increase. The dissolved iron concentration in pore water, on the other hand, was found high in the surface layer of sediment, but fell sharply below this layer. these characteristic profiles of pore water sulfide and iron concentrations suggest that some reaction occurs between dissolved iron and sulfide ions, leading to the formation of various sulfide minerals in the sedimentary phase. The amount of inorganic sulfur species in the sediment increased downward, and showed a maximum of up to 7.9 mg/g. among the three species analyzed, acid-volatile sulfur (AVS) was dominant comprising more than 50% of the total. The amount of pyrite sulfur was greater than that of element sulfur. This implies that the formation of pyrite was restricted in this environment. the limited amount of element sulfur in this deposit may have discouraged the active formation of pyrite.