• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.54-66
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• 2023

Titanium's importance as a mineral resource is increasing, but the Korean industry depends on imports. Ilmenite is the principal titanium ore. However, research and development from raw materials have not been investigated yet in detail. Hence, measures to secure a stable titanium supply chain are urgently needed. Accordingly, through beneficiation technology, we evaluated the possibility of technological application for the efficient recovery of valuable minerals. As a result of the experiments, we confirmed that mineral particles existed as fine particles due to weathering, making recovery through classification difficult. Consequently, applying beneficiation technologies, i.e., specific gravity separation, magnetic separation, and flotation, makes it possible to recover valuable minerals such as hematite and rutile. However, there are limitations in increasing the quality and yield of TiO₂ due to the mineralogical characteristic of the hematite and rutile contained in titanium ore. Hametite is combined with rutile even at fine particles. Therefore, it is essential to develop mineral processing routes, to recover iron, vanadium, and rare earth elements as resources. On that account, we used grinding technology that improves group separation between constituent minerals and magnetic separation technology that utilizes the difference in magnetic sensitivity between fine mineral particles. The development of beneficiation technology that can secure the economic feasibility of valuable materials after reforming iron oxide and titanium oxide components is necessary.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.11-24
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• 2008

A physical characteristics and chemical compositions change by weathering on the granite were examined for the conservation treatment of the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda. The natural weathered granite was collected from the Mt. Mireuk, and divided into the classification standards based on weathering degrees and strength measured by rock-test hammer. The results from comparison of the strength measured by undestructive rock-test hammer and the strength values converted from ultrasonic velocity showed that each strength measurement value was proportionate. The water absorption of the sample was 1.68 to 0.20%. The F-type of fresh rock was not naturally saturated and the WW-type was naturally saturated but took quite a long time. The water absorption was increased gradually in order of SW-type, the MW-type and the HW-type according to weathering condition. The CW-type samples showed the highest water absorption among the weathered classification samples. Through dyeing test, it was found out that only the feldspar was dyed out of the F-type and the WW-type. The SW-type and the MW-type were distinguished by the fact that plagioclase being dyed. And dyed area was expanded to quartz crack in HW-type and CW-type. Physical change by weathering of the rock-forming minerals could be classified with 3 grades. Through the XRD analysis, albite among the rock-forming mineral showed remarkable decrease. SEM-EDX analysis of the component change in the rock-forming minerals such as biotite, plagioclase, and orthoclase, showed that in case of highly-weathered grade samples compared with fresh samples, contents of the $Al_2O_3$, $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ increase and CaO, MgO decrease in the biotite, the CaO, $K_2O$ increase and $Na_2O$ decrease in the plagioclase, the $Al_2O_3$ a little increase and $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ decrease in the orthoclase. The results of extracted cation analysis using the powder samples of each weathering grade, the CaO, $Na_2O$, $K_2O$ and MgO are highly chemical variations in rock forming minerals and positive variation show high in the weathering grade of the WW-type and CW-type. This research will be used as an importance data to establish a plan for conservation treatment of composed stone in the Mireuksaji temple stone pagoda.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.549-561
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• 2020

This study aimed to assess the performance and life of nine natural mineral dancheong pigments: Seokganju, Jinsa, Hwangto, Jahwang, Wunghwang, Seokrok, Noerok, Seokcheong, and Baekto. The design of the accelerated weathering test considered the domestic climate characteristics and the location of Dancheong. Outdoor weathering tests were conducted at the Research Institute in Daejeon and the Sungnyemun Gate in Seoul to confirm the field reproducibility of the accelerated weathering test. Monitoring of the physical changes in pigments through accelerated and outdoor weathering tests are based on ultraviolet exposure dose. Despite small cracks at the beginning of the tests, the monitoring showed that Seokganju and Baekto had no marked physical changes, but the surface cracks of Jinsa and Seorok continue to expand. Hwangto and Noerok were marked with water or were resin stained, and the particles of Jahwang, Wunghwang, and Seokcheong had lost their luster. Despite the absolute difference in color change in each test, the final chromaticity change patterns of pigments were similar in that the color difference between Baekto and Noerok was below five, and Jina was above 28. The physical and surface color pigment changes were more concentrated in outdoor weathering tests than in accelerated tests, and the Seoul site was more intense than the Daejeon site. This is because outdoor weathering tests are exposed to severe variations of temperature and moisture or deposition of dust particles and, in the case of Seoul, the site is more exposed to the external environment than the Daejeon site.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2018

Rare earth elements together with Y and Sc (REEs) are essential in the development of technology for clean and efficient use of energy. In recent years coal deposits have much attention and attracted as a promising alternative raw sources for rare earth elements, not only because the REEs concentrations in many coals or coal ashes are equal to or higher than those found in conventional types of REEs ores but also because of the world wide demand for REEs in recent years has been greater than supply. In the coal ashes, REEs are mainly associated with carbonates, silicates and aluminosilicates in ashes at 800 and $1100^{\circ}C$. These elements are known to be powerful environmental tracers in natural biogeochemical compartments. In this study, to reviewed the REEs originating and distribution patterns in coal ash samples from the bedrock and/or soil weathering that were entrapped by lichens and mosses was investigated. The REEs patterns of different organisms species allowed minor influence of the species to be highlighted compared to the regional lithology.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.353-365
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• 2000

After their first appearance on Earth, bacteria have exerted significant influence on geochemical behavior of elements. Numerous evidence of their control on geochemistry through geologic history has been observed in a variety of natural environments. They have mediated weathering rate, formation of secondary minerals, redox transformation of metals and metalloids, and thus global cycling of elements. Such ability of bacteria receives so considerable attention from microbiologists, mineralogists, geologists, soil scientists, limnologists, oceanographers, and atmospheric scientists as well as geochemists that a new and interdisciplinary field of research called 'geomicrobiology' is currently expanding. Some recent subjects of geomicrobiology which are studied extensively are as follows: 1) Functional groups distributed on bacterial cell walls adsorb dissolved cations onto cell surfaces by electrostatic surface complexation, which is followed by hydrous mineral formation. 2) Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria conserve energy to support growth by oxidation of organic matter coupled to reduction of some oxidized metals and/or metalloids. They can be effectively used in remediating environments contaminated with U, As, Se, and Cr. 3) Bacteria increase the rate of mineral dissolution by excreting proton and ligands such as organic acids into aqueous system. 4) Thorough investigation on the effects of biofilm on geochemical processes is needed, because most bacteria are adsorbed on solid substrates and form biofilms in natural settings.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.60-74
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• 1980

Soil-cement mixtures involve problems in it's durability in grain size distribution and mineral composition of the used soils as well as in cement content, compaction energy, molding water content, and curing. As an attempt to solve the problems associated with durability of weathered granite soil with cement treated was investigated by conducting tests such as unconfined compression test, it's moisture, immers, wet-dry and freeze-thaw curing, mesurement of loss of weight with wet-dry and freeze-thaw by KS F criteria and CBR test with moisture curing on the five soil samples different in weathering and mineral composition. The experimental results are summarized as follows; The unconfined compressive strength was higher in moisture curing rather than in the immers and wet-dry, while it was lowest in freeze-thaw. Decreasing ratio of unconfined compressive strength in soil-cement mixtures were lowest in optimum moisture content or in the dry side rather than optimum moisture content with freeze-thaw. The highly significant ceofficient was obtained between the cement content and loss of weight with freeze-thaw and wet-dry. It was possible to obtain the durability of soil-cement mixtures, as the materials of base for roads, containing above 4 % of cement content, above 3Okg/cm$_2$ of unconfined compressive trength with seven days moisture curing or 12 cycle of freeze-thaw after it, above 100% of relative unconfined compressive strength, 80% of index of resistance, below 14% of loss of weight with 12 cycle of wet-dry and above 1. 80g/cm$_2$ of dry density.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.287-293
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• 2018

Amorphous silica ($SiO_2$) silt grains were found in some soils of Korean Peninsula. Scanning electron microscopy of polished section of soils revealed ellipsoidal amorphous $SiO_2$ grains with numerous submicron pores concentrated in the interior. Their amorphous structure was confirmed by lattice imaging and electron diffraction under transmission electron microscope. Amorphous $SiO_2$ grains were not found in the eolian sediment of the Chinese loess plateau. Although the origin of the amorphous $SiO_2$ grain is uncertain, they are likely either phytolith or weathering product of volcanic ash. The amorphous $SiO_2$ silt grains are not useful as a tracer of long-range transport mineral dust in soils.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.467-477
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• 2014

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) occurs in rocks and soils as a result of natural weathering and human activities. The asbestos have been associated with ultramafic and mafic rocks, and carbonate rock. The previous studies on NOA were mainly limited to ultramafic and mafic rock-hosted asbestos in Korea. But, studies on carbonatehosted asbestos are relatively rare. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate mineralogical characteristics of carbonate-hosted and metapelite-hosted NOA and to examine genesis of NOA occurred in the both rocks. The study area was Daerori, Seosan, Chungnam Province, Korea. The major rock formation consisted of limestone and schist which have been known to contain asbestos. Sampling was performed at outcrop which contained carbonate rock showing acicular asbestos crystals as well as pegmatitic intrusion that contacted with carbonate rock. PLM, XRD, EPMA, and EDS analyses were used to characterize mineral assemblages, mineralogical characteristics, and crystal habits of amphiboles and other minerals. BSEM images were also used to examine the genesis of asbestos minerals. The amphibole group was observed in all of the carbonate rocks, and actinolite and tremolite were identified in all rocks. These mineral habits were mainly micro-acicular crystals or secondary asbestiform minerals on the surface of non-asbestiform minerals appearing split end of columnar crystals produced by weathering. BSEM images showed residual textures of samples. The residual textures of carbonate rocks showed dolomite-tremolite-diopside mineral assemblages that formed during prograde metasomatism stage. Some carbonate rock also showed diopside-tremolite-talc mineral assemblages which were formed during retrograde metasomatism stage, as the residual textures. In result the presence of asbestos actinolite-tremolite in the carbonate rocks were confirmed in the areas where actinolite-tremolite asbestos was influenced by low temperature hydrothermal solution during metasomatism stage. These asbestos minerals showed the acicular asbestiform minerals, but even non-asbestiform minerals, a bundle or columnar shape, could transform to asbestiform minerals as potential NOA by weathering because the end of columnar shape of non-asbestiform minerals appeared as multiple acicular shaped fibers.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.339-350
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• 2007

Content, swelling, concentration, drainage of clay are critical factors that could control rock failures as well as discontinuous geological structures like faults and joints. Especially, the proportional components of clay minerals can be one of few direct indicators to a rock failure caused well by rainfall. Criticality of the role of clay mineral contents gets bigger in the slope and tunnel design. This study, using a horizontal boring core of pelitic/psammitic phyllite from the OO tunnel construction site, aims to investigate mineral composition changes related to fault distribution and their mechanical effects to the activity of these discontinuous layers (i.e., clay-filled fault layers), and eventually to define correlation among rock compositions, weathering products and rock instabilities. Field survey and lab tests were carried out for the composition and strength index of fault clay minerals within the core samples and microscopic analysis of fresh and weathered rock samples.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.415-425
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• 2005

To examine the geochemical behavior and pollution of soils in Gwangju City, an analysis was carried out for pH, on the contents of metals, and organic carbon. Soil samples were taken from environs areas, industrial areas and downtown areas. The major factor controlling the behavior of metallic elements in the soil was chemical weathering of clay mineral in the environs areas, industrialization, and urbanization. Heavy metals including Cu, Pb and Zn were highly enriched for the samples from central part of downtown area. This indicated that the urbanization and the industrialization affected soil pollution. The results show that soil pollution in a metropolitan city which is caused by harmful heavy metals is severest in the center of the city. In consequence, it is inevitable that practical measures should be taken to prevent soil pollution expansion.