• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2016

Performance of pyrophyllite-based ceramic membranes newly developed were investigated. Membrane fouling caused by microbial suspensions taken from a full-scaled MBR system at domestic wastewater treatment plant was observed at different airflow rate and distance between each membrane. For the pyrophyllite support, pore size was about $1.0{\mu}m$, but surface coating with $Al_2O_3$ solution decreased the pore size with the reduction of the pure water permeability. With the MLSS taken from the full-scaled MBR system (6 g/L), the fouling rate was decreased by increasing airflow rate under $20L/m^2{\cdot}hr$ of setpoint flux. However, the effectiveness of the airflow rate on the fouling control depends strongly upon the gap between each membrane. At fixed airflow rate, the fouling rate was decreased by increasing the gap between each pyrophyllite membrane. Nevertheless, further increasing the membrane distance from 3.5 to 5.4 cm resulted in higher fouling rate. Similar result was observed with the $Al_2O_3$ coated-pyrophyllite membrane. Nevertheless, the fouling rate was lower with the coated membrane than that observed with the uncoated pyrophyllite support. Regardless of surface coating, the suspended solids were removed almost completely and the surface coating on the pyrophyllite support improved organic rejection with PEG solution (MW : 8000 kDa) tested.

• 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.