• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.543-553
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• 2023

The current status of domestic a agalmatolite mines in South Korea was investigated with a view to establishing a stable supply of agalmatolite and managing its demand. Most mined agalmatolite deposits were formed through hydrothermal alteration of Mesozoic volcanic rocks. The physical characteristics of pyrophyllite, the main constituent mineral of agalmatolite, are as follows: specific gravity 2.65~2.90, hardness 1~2, density 1.60~1.80 g/cm³, refractoriness ≥29, and color white, gray, grayish white, grayish green, yellow, or yellowish green. Among the chemical components of domestic agalmatolite, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents are respectively 58.2~67.2 and 23.1~28.8 wt.% for pyrophyllite, 49.2~72.6 and 16.5~31.0 wt.% for pyrophyllite + dickite, 45.1 and 23.3 wt.% for pyrophyllite + illite, 43.1~82.3 and 11.4~35.8 wt.% for illite, and 37.6~69.0 and 19.6~35.3 wt.% for dickite. Domestic agalmatolite mines are concentrated mainly in the southwest and southeast of the Korean Peninsula, with some occurring in the northeast. Twenty-one mines currently produce agalmatolite in South Korea, with reserves in the order of Jeonnam (45.6%) > Chungbuk (30.8%) > Gyeongnam (13.0%) > Gangwon (4.8%), and Gyeongbuk (4.8%). The top 10 agalmatolite-producing mines are in the order of the Central Resources Mine (37.9%) > Wando Mine (25.6%) > Naju Ceramic Mine (13.4%) > Cheongseok-Sajiwon Mine (5.4%) > Gyeongju Mine (5.0%) > Baekam Mine (5.0%) > Minkyung-Nohwado Mine (3.3%) > Bugok Mine (2.3%) > Jinhae Pylphin Mine (2.2%) > Bohae Mine. Agalmatolite has low thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, thermal deformation, and expansion coefficients, low bulk density, high heat and corrosion resistance, and high sterilization and insecticidal efficiency. Accordingly, it is used in fields such as refractory, ceramic, cement additive, sterilization, and insecticide manufacturing and in filling materials. Its scope of use is expanding to high-tech industries, such as water treatment ceramic membranes, diesel exhaust gas-reduction ceramic filters, glass fibers, and LCD panels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.385-389
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• 2004

임기납석광산 폐석적치장 상부의 계곡수로부터 폐석적치장 하부인 수영강 합수지점까지 수계를 따라 물시료 12개 지점을 대상으로 수질 및 안정동위원소 분석을 수행하였다. 폐석적치장으로부터 pH가 2.83이고 Fe, Al, Mn 등으로 심하게 오염된 산성배수가 유출되어 계곡수를 오염시키며 수계의 수질은 $Ca^{2＋}$-SO$_{4}$$^{2－}$ 형태로 변화되고 폐석적치장 주변 수로에 적화현상을 유발하고 있다. 또한 안정동위원소 분석결과 임기납석광산 인근 수계에 가장 큰 오염부하를 유발하는 요소인 침출수(산성배수)의 기원은 강수기원으로 판단된다. 이는 폐석침출수 오염원 평가 및 처리에 유용한 자료로 이용 될 수 있을 것이다.

• Mineral and Industry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2002

납석은 전남 일대를 중심으로 약 5,200만 톤이 부존 되어 있고 매년 약 80-90만 톤씩 생산되고 있어 , 국내 비금속광 중 생산액 순으로 4위 정도를 차지하고 있다. 수요의 대부분은 국내에서 조달하고, 생산량의 약 30% 정도를 수출하고 있지만 최근에는 고품위 광석을 중심으로 수입이 증가하는 추이를 보이고 있다. 방석의 국내 수요도 과거에는 내화벽돌용이 주를 이루었지만 근래에는 유리 장성유용이 가장 큰 시장역할을 하는 것으로 변모하였다. 물량만으로는 시멘트 부원료용이 가장 많지만 가격이 낮아 시장규모는 별로 크지 못하다. 시장가격을 기준으로 추정한 국내 납석시장의 규모는 수출시장을 포함할 경우 200억 원 규모이지만 소수의 상위 생산광산에서 주요한 시장을 차지하고 있어 다수의 소규모 광산들은 약 40억원 정도의 시장을 두고 경쟁하고 있다. 납석은 저가 광물인 만큼 고부가가치화를 시키려는 노력이 필요하며, 다량 부존되어 있는 저품위광을 활용하기 위한 노력과 다른 비금속광물과의 경쟁력을 지닐 수 있도록 분체물을 처리하는 분야의 연구 역시 필요할 것이다.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.36-38
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• 1999

• Mineral and Industry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2005

국내의 납석 광상은 대부분 백악기의 화산암류들이 열수변질되어 형성된 광상으로서, 주로 전남 및 경남 지역에 밀집되어 분포한다. 납석은 지질 여건상 주로 경상분지 내에 국제적인 규모의 풍부한 부존자원이 있지만, 그 동안의 개발에 의해서 고품위 황석들은 상당히 채진된 상황이다. 현재 개발되고 있는 광체들은 몇 곳의 광산을 제외하고는 대부분 저품위 광상을 이루고 있기 때문에, 새로운 광체의 탐광이 이루어지지 않는다면 앞으로 고품위 광석에 관한 한 국내의 수요를 충당하기 어려운 상황에 이를 것으로 예견된다. 현재 국내에서 납석으로 개발되고 있는 광석의 상당수(대략 $40\%$ 정도)가 엄밀한 의미에서는 사실상 납석이 아닌 고령토나 견운모 광석인 것으로 밝혀졌다. 엽납석을 함유하는 정상적인 형태의 납석들은 그수반 점토광물상에 의거하여 (l) 엽납석질, (2) 딕카이트질. (3) 일라이트질 및 (4) 딕카이트-일라이트질 유형으로 구분될 수 있다. 고령토 광물로는 대부분 딕카이트가 수반되고 외국에서는 흔히 수반되는 것으로 알려져 있는 고령석은 거의 함유되지 않는 것이 특징이다. 석영은 납석에서 점토광물 못지않게 그 용도를 가름하는 주요 성분으로서 대부분의 광석 유형에서 수반되지만 특히 일라이트질 납석에서 흔히 그리고 보다 많이 수반되는 양상을 보인다. X-선회절 정랑분석법은 납석의 품위를 산정하는데 유력한 수단이 될 수 있다. 특히 납석 이외의 점토광물들의 조성, 특히 일라이트의 함유 정도는 납석의 용도별 품위와 품질을 가름하는 주요 사항이다. 화학분석에 의한 납석의 평가 방식은 특히 납석의 백색 도기류와 같은 각종 세라믹스 제조 용도에서의 품질 평가에 결정적인 단서를 제공하는 유력한 평가수단이다. 특히 착색유발 성분인 철분의 존재와 그 함량을 정하고 요업용도에서 중요한 $Al_3O_3$와 알칼리 성분 함량을 검증하는데 필수적인 평가 방법이다. 이외에 주사전자현미경 관찰을 통해서 납석의 주요 품질 기준이 되는 극미립상 엽납석의 결정형, 조직 및 미시적 산출상태를 보다 정밀하게 평가할 수 있는 방안을 제공한다. 현행 광업법상의 납석을 비롯한 관련 광종들의 광물분류 체계가 모호하게 설정되어 있고 관련 인허가 부서에서의 전문성 및 지도력 부족으로 관련 산업계에 심각한 비효율성과 오류가 야기되고 있는 실정이다. 이를 개선하기 위해서는 납석의 광석평가 방식이 그 품위와 품질 개념 하에서 응용광물학적으로 적용되어야 할 것이다.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.405-415
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• 2000

This study was carried out to understand the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) by pyrophyllite (so-called Napseok)-rainwater interaction (weathering), dispersion patterns of heavy metals, and patterns of mixing with non-polluted water in the Tongnae pyrophyllite mine. Based on the mass balance and reaction path modeling, using both the geochemistry of water and occurrence of the secondary minerals (weathering products), the geochemical evolution of AMD was simulated by computer code of SOLVEQ and CHILLER. It shows that the pH of stream water is from 6.2 to 7.3 upstream of the Tongnae mine. Close to the mine, the pH decreases to 2. Despite being diluted with non-polluted tributaries, the acidity of mine drainage water maintains as far as downstream. The results of modeling of water-rock interaction show that the activity of hydrogen ion increases (pH decreases), the goncentration of ${HCO_3}^-$ decreases associated with increasing $H^+$ activity, as the reaction is processing. The concentration of ${SO_4}^{2-}$first increases minutely, but later increases rapidly as pH drops below 4.3. The concentrations of cations and heavy metals are controlled by the dissolution of reactants and re-dissolution of derived species (weathering products) according to the pH. The continuous adding of reactive minerals, namely the progressively larger degrees of water-rock interaction, causes the formation of secondary minerals in the following sequence; goethite, then Mn-oxides, then boehmite, then kaolinite, then Ca-nontronite, then Mgnontronite, and finally chalcedony. The results of reaction path modeling agree well with the field data, and offer useful information on the geochemical evolution of AMD. The results of reaction path modeling on the formation of AMD offer useful information for the estimation and the appraisal of pollution caused by water-rock interaction as geological environments. And also, the ones can be used as data for the choice of appropriate remediation technique for AMD.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2010

The Landsat and ASTER data have been used in mineralogical and lithological studies, and they have also proved to be useful tool in the initial steps for mineral exploration throughout Nevada mining district, US. Huge pyrophyllite quarry mines, including Jungang, Samsung, Kyeongju, and Naenam located in the southeastern part of Gyeongsang Basin. The geology of study area consists mainly of Cretaceous volcanic rocks, which belong into Cretaceous Hayang and Jindong Group. They were intruded by Bulgugsa granites, so called Sannae-Eonyang granites. To extraction of Ratio model for pyrophyllite deposits, tuffaceous rock and pyrophyllite ores from the Jungang mine used in reflectance spectral analysis and these results were re-sampled to Landsat and ASTER bandpass. As a result of these processes, the pyrophyllite ores spectral features show strong reflectance at band 5, whereas strong absorption at band 7 in Landsat data. In the ASTER data, the pyrophyllite ores spectral features show strong absorption at band 5 and 8, whereas strong reflectance at band 4 and 7. Based on these spectral features, as a result of application of $Py_{Landsat}$ model to hydrothermal alteration zone and other exposed sites, the DN values of two different areas are 1.94 and 1.19 to 1.49, respectively. The differences values between pyrophyllite deposits and concrete-barren area are 0.472 and 0.399 for $Py_{ASTER}$ model, 0.452 and 0.371 for OHIb model, 0.365 and 0.311 for PAK model, respectively. Thus, $Py_{ASTER}$ and $Py_{Landsat}$ model proposed from this study proved to be more useful tool for the extraction of pyrophyllite deposits relative to previous models.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.68-76
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• 2002

In this study, we have investigated the geochemical behavior and fate of heavy metals in acid rock drainage (ARD). The ARD was collected from the area of the former Dongrae pyrophyllite mine. The Dongrae Creek waters were strongly acidic (pH : 2.3~4.2) and contained high concentrations of $SO_4$, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd, due to the influence of ARD generated from weathering of pyrite-rich pyrophyllite ores. However, the water quality gradually improved as the water flows downstream. In view of the change of mole fractions of dissolved Fe, Al and Mn, the generated ARD was initially both Fe- and AA-ich but progressively evolved to more Al-rich toward the confluence with the uncontaminated Suyoung River. As the AR3 (pH 2.3) mixed with the uncontaminated waters (pH 6.5), the pH increased up to 4.2, which caused precipitation of $SO_4$-rich Fe hydroxysulfate as a red-colored, massive ferricrete precipitate throughout the Dongrae Creek. Accompanying the precipitation of ferricrete, the Dongrae Creek water progressively changed to more Al-rich toward downstream sites. At the mouth of the Dongrae Creek, it (pH 3.4) mixed with the Suyoung River (pH 6.9), where pH increased to 5.7, causing precipitation of Al hydroxysulfate (white precipitates). Neutralization of the ARD-contaminated waters in the laboratory caused the successive formation of Fe precipitates at pH<3.5 and Al precipitates at higher pH (4~6). Manganese compounds were precipitated at pH>6. The removal of trace metals was dependent on the precipitation of these compounds, which acted as sorbents. The pHs for 50% sorption ($pH_{50}$) in Fe-rich and Al-rich waters were respectively 3.2 and 4.5 for Pb, 4.5 and 5.8 for Cu, 5.2 and 7.4 for Cd, and 5.8 and 7.0 for Zn. This indicates that the trace metals were sorbed preferentially with increasing pH in the general order of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn and that the sorption of trace metals in Al-rich water occurred at higher pH than those in Fe-rich water. The results of this study demonstrated that the partitioning of trace metals in ARD is not only a function of pH, but also depends on the chemical composition of the water.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.215-221
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• 2005

Numerous abandoned or closed mines are present in the steep mountain valleys in Korea due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. From the mines, enormous amounts of wastes were dumped on the slopes causing sedimentation and acid mine drainage to be discharged directly into streams causing detrimental effects on surrounding environment. Objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of the lime cake by-product from the soda ash production (Solvay process) to neutralize the pyrophyllite mine wastes, which have discharged the acid drainage to soil and stream in the watershed. The pH of mine wastes was strongly acidic at pH 3.67 containing over 16% of $Al_2O_3$ and 11% of $Fe_2O_3$. Whereas the lime cake by-product was strongly basic at pH 9.97 due to high contents of CaO, MgO and $CaCl_2$ as major components. Column experiments were conducted to test the neutralizing capacity of the lime cake by-product for the acidic pyrophyllite mine wastes. The column packed with the wastes (control) was treated with the lime cake by-product, calcium carbonate, the dressing soil or combination. The distilled water was eluted statically through the column and the leachate was collected for the chemical analyses. Treatments of the mine wastes with the lime cake by-product (or calcium carbonate) as mixtures increased pH of the leachate from $3.5{\sim}4.0\;to\;7{\sim}8$. Concentrations of Fe and Al in the leachate were also decreased below 1.0 mg $L^{-1}$. A Similar result was observed at the combined treatments of the mine waste, the lime by-product (or calcium carbonate) and the dressing soil. The results indicated that the lime cake by-product could sufficiently neutralize the acid drainage from the pyrophyllite mine wastes without dressing soils.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.13-24
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• 2004

This study was carried out to plan the prevention of the generation and discharge of Acid Rock Drainage (ARD). The Acid Base Accounting(ABA) test was performed for geological materials such as pit wall, waste rock and stream sediments near the Imgi abandoned pyrophyllite mine in Busan, Korea. In addition, hydraulic characteristics were tested with the disk tension infiltrometer around the waste rock dump. Maximum Potential Acidity(MPA) of geological materials near the Imgi mine was 246.942kg $H_2SO_4/t$, and maximum Acid Neutralising Capacity(ANC) was 8.7kg $H_2SO_4/t$. These results indicate the pit wall and waste rock, except most of stream sediments are acid generating geological materials. These have salt and free hydrogen ion which resulted from oxidation of sulfides. Hence they could be convert rain water to acid rock drainage. Although the waste rock dump of the Imgi mine have very low infiltration rate, slopes of the waste rock dump have many "V" type erosion gullies and multi-layers. These gullies and multi-layers have coarse clastic particle layers which have very large hydraulic conductivity. Through this coarse clastic particle layer a large part of rain flow into ground. And also this layer could function as aeration path which induced oxidation of sulfide minerals and generation of ARD continuously.