• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.475-499
• /
• 2023

To infer the provenance of raw iron materials utilized in iron production at the archaeological sites in Gyeongsang province, petrographic and geochemical analyses were conducted for smelting samples and major iron ores sourced from ore deposits. The smelting samples excavated from various iron archaeological sites were classified into different types according to their refining processes, such as iron bloom, iron bloom slag, pig iron, pig iron slag, forging iron flake, smithery iron, iron flake, and arrowhead. These samples exhibited discernable differences in their mineralogical components and texture. The enrichments of major elements such as aluminum and calcium in silicate minerals of the residual slags and the high contents of trace elements such as nickel and copper in some iron-making relics reflect the characteristics of raw iron ores, and thus can be regarded as potential indicators for inferring the provenance of source materials. In particular, the compositional ranges of Pb-Sr isotope ratios for the iron smelting samples were classified into three categories: 1) those exhibiting similar ratios to those of the raw iron ores, 2) those enriched in strontium isotope ratio, and 3) those enriched in both lead and strontium isotope ratios. The observed distinct Pb-Sr isotope characteristics in the iron smelting samples suggest the potential contribution of specific additives being introduced during the high-temperature refining process. These results provide a new perspective on the interpretation of the provenance study of the iron archaeological samples in Gyeongsang province, particularly in terms of the potential contribution of additives on the refining process.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.263-268
• /
• 1999

In this study, a new concept of aluminum-matrix composites and the possibility of in-situ processing are suggested, and preliminary results on AI- Ti system are presented. Fine powders of AI-lO% Ti were prepared by the gas atomization so that fine $Al_3Ti$ formed into flake shape. A 25v/o $Al_3Ti/Al$ composite sample was made by the pow­d er metallurgy process involving hot extrusion. Microstructure and mechanical behavior both at room temperature and high temperatures were analysed by OM, SEM, TEM and tension test. Microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the composites exhibited similar behavior to those of $SiC_w/2124$ composites. Merits and drawbacks of the $Al_3Ti/Al$ composites are discussed together with a possibility of further improvement.