전철민 Chul-min Chon , 한성수 Seongsoo Han , 이수정 Sujeong Lee

DOI:10.22807/KJMP.2025.38.3.173 Vol.38(No.3) 173-186, 2025

Mine tailings, the by-product left over after mineral extraction, have raised environmental and economic concerns; however, their high silica and alumina content makes them a promising low-cost feedstock for zeolite synthesis. This review focuses on comparing the mechanisms, advantages, and limitations of current techniques for synthesizing zeolites using mine tailings, specifically hydrothermal and alkaline fusion methods. Hydrothermal synthesis operates at relatively low temperatures and simple setups, but is often limited by the reactivity of the feedstock. Alkaline fusion, on the other hand, enhances reactivity through high-temperature fusion, making it suitable for a wider variety of tailings, but at the cost of higher energy consumption and operating costs. The presence of toxic elements such as heavy metals in mine tailings also requires proper pretreatment and environmental risk management. An integrated approach that includes raw material characterization, process optimization, and regulatory compliance is essential. With such a strategy, the valuation of mine tailings can contribute to the sustainable development of zeolite production and provide effective solutions for resource recycling and environmental improvement.

광물찌꺼기, 제올라이트, 수열합성법, 알칼리융해법, Mine tailings, Zeolite, Hydrothermal synthesis, Alkaline fusion method

고상모 Sang-mo Koh , 오트곤-에르덴다바수렌 Otgon-erdene Davaasuren , 이범한 Bum Han Lee , 신우창 Woochang Shin

DOI:10.22807/KJMP.2025.38.3.187 Vol.38(No.3) 187-208, 2025

This study provides a comparative analysis of the geological occurrence of domestic and global sericite deposits, with a focus on mineralogical characteristics, alteration processes, and tectonic settings. Sericite, a secondary mica formed through weathering, hydrothermal and metamorphic alteration of feldspar and muscovite, occurs in diverse geological environments such as hydrothermal clay alteration type, phyllic alteration zones of metallic deposits, and regionally metamorphosed pelitic rocks. In this study, representative sericite deposits (Daehyeon, Bobae, Samseong, and Narim) from Korea are investigated in terms of petrology, alteration mineralogy, chemical composition, and radiometric age dating. These are compared with overseas examples, including the Udaipur district (India), the Silverton Caldera district (USA), the Hsianyang deposit (Taiwan), and the Son Binh deposit (Vietnam), each representing different geological settings. Mica minerals are utilized in a wide range of industrial sectors such as electronics, paints and coatings, construction, and cosmetics, due to their unique combination of properties including flexibility, thermal resistance, dielectric strength, and chemical stability. Global mica production has remained stable at around 353,000-390,000 metric tons annually since 2020, with China, Madagascar, and Finland accounting for more than half of the global output. Domestic production in Korea is limited to around 20,000 tons, meeting only 7.8% of national demand, leading to a high dependency on imports from countries such as China, Turkiye, and Japan. The findings of this study not only clarify the mineralogical and geological characteristics of major sericite deposits but also highlight the economic significance of sericite as a strategic industrial mineral. By synthesizing geological data and supply-demand trends, this research provides essential insights for future exploration, sustainable resource development, and industrial application of sericite and mica resources in Korea.

견운모 광상, 지질학적 부존특성, 운모, 수급, 활용, Sericite deposit, Geological occurrence, Mica, Supply and demand, Utilization

김영규 Yeongkyoo Kim

DOI:10.22807/KJMP.2025.38.3.209 Vol.38(No.3) 209-216, 2025

In acid mine drainage (AMD) environments, various precipitated iron (oxyhydr)oxide minerals can attenuate oxyanion-forming heavy metals through co-precipitation and surface adsorption. However, subsequent mineral phase transformations may induce additional changes in the mobility and stability of these ions. Schwertmannite, a poorly crystalline, metastable mineral with high specific surface area and sorption capacity, typically transforms into goethite over time. The influence of adsorbed oxyanions on the kinetics of this transformation, however, remains insufficiently understood. In this study, five oxyanions (AsO₄, CrO₄, SeO₃, SeO₄, MoO₄) were each adsorbed onto schwertmannite at an equivalent loading of 0.5 mmol/g. The transformation of these oxyanion-laden schwertmannite samples into goethite was systematically investigated and compared to that of pure schwertmannite under controlled conditions (pH 9, 30℃) over 14 weeks using pH monitoring, cumulative OH consumption, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The results indicate that unmodified schwertmannite underwent the fastest transformation into goethite, followed by SeO₄-adsorbed schwertmannite, likely due to its structural similarity to SO₄ and its formation of outer-sphere complexes. In contrast, AsO₄, CrO₄, SeO₃, and MoO₄ significantly delayed the transformation due to the formation of strong inner-sphere surface complexes. These findings highlight the critical role of oxyanion binding mechanisms in controlling the structural stability and transformation behavior of schwertmannite, offering valuable insights into the long-term fate of oxyanionic contaminants in AMD-impacted environments.

산성광산배수, 산화음이온, 슈베르트마나이트, 침철석, 상변화, acid mine drainage, oxyanions, schwertmannite, goethite, phase transformation

김형규 Hyeong-gyu Kim , 박창근 Changkun Park , 김은정 Eun Jeong Kim , 박선영 Sun Young Park , 김화영 Hwayoung Kim , 김현나 Hyun Na Kim

DOI:10.22807/KJMP.2025.38.3.217 Vol.38(No.3) 217-225, 2025

Feldspar is a silicate mineral commonly observed in meteorites, and during shock metamorphism, it undergoes partial or complete amorphization. This characteristic is used as a major indicator of shock metamorphism. In this study, we investigated the formation mechanisms and chemical compositional changes of partially amorphous feldspar in ordinary chondrites. Crystalline and amorphous domains were found to coexist within single feldspar grains. The crystalline domains have well-developed internal fractures, whereas the amorphous domains have glass-like surfaces without fractures and exhibit complete extinction under a polarizing microscope. Raman analysis revealed distinct peaks crystalline feldspar, while amorphous feldspar exhibited broad peaks of full widths at half maximum (FWHM), reflecting structural disorder. Both domains exhibit albite-oligoclase compositions. However, the amorphous domains are characterized by higher potassium (K) and lower sodium (Na) contents relative to the crystalline domains. These results suggest the possibility of elemental redistribution during partial melting and quenching in the meteorite impact process. In addition, unlike sanidine and anorthite, albite shows a narrow melt-crystal coexistence field in the phase diagram, resulting in a relatively limited compositional range compared with other feldspars. This interpretation, however, has limitations because it is based on phase equilibria under ambient pressure rather than the high-pressure conditions of shock metamorphism. Therefore, dynamic high-temperature and high-pressure experiments and studies of phase equilibria under high-pressure conditions that better reflect shock metamorphism are required in the future.

라만, 장석, 오디너리 콘드라이트, 부분 비정질화, 부분 용융, Raman, Feldspar, Ordinary chondrite, Partial amorphization, Partial melting

강지훈 Ji-hoon Kang

DOI:10.22807/KJMP.2025.38.3.227 Vol.38(No.3) 227-238, 2025

In the Yeongyang geological map of 1:50,000 scale, several faults develop in the N-S to NNE direction. Among them, Cheongok fault in the west is the most extensional and shows a dextral lithofacies displacement of about 8~9 km. This paper presents the history of geological structure development in the northern region of the Cheongok fault analyzed through research on the geometrical and kinematic characteristics of beddings, faults, and folds. The study area is situated in the western part of Yeongyang Block, Gyeongsang Basin. The lithologic constituents are mainly sedimentary and partly volcanic rocks of the Gasongdong, Cheongyangsan, and Dogyedong Formations of the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup. The Cheongok fault exhibits a change in the direction of NNW, N-S, and NNE toward the north. From changes in the bedding direction in the northwest and midwest of the study area, the gentle folds of E-W trend and of N-S trend are recognized, and the former was refolded by the latter. These folds are cut by the Cheongok fault. From changes in bedding direction in the mideast and southeast parts, the dextral drag folds in which the gentle folds of NW trend gradually change to the open folds of NNW trend toward the Cheongok fault, are also recognized. In addition, many of folds and faults on outcrop-scale are observed along the Cheongok fault. The axial surfaces of folds mainly strike N-S to NNW and steeply to moderately dip westward. The fold axes subhorizontally plunge to the south or north, which coincides with the predominant orientation of pi-axis recognized from the arrangement of poles to all beddings in the study area. Faults develop almost parallel to the axial surfaces of folds and have slickenlines showing dextral strike-slip in movement sense. Within the dextral strike-slip fault zone, a sigmoidal drag fold is also recognized with a change from the NW trending gentle folds to the NNW trending open~isoclinal folds towards the Cheongok fault. From the above results, it is suggested that the geological structure of study area was formed in the order of firstly, the E-W trending gentle folds by N-S compressional stress, secondly, the N-S trending gentle folds by E-W compressional stress, thirdly, the dextral strike-slip Cheongok fault by NE-SW compressional stress and its accompanying the gentle folds of NW trend, open~isoclinal folds of NNW to N-S trend, sigmoidal drag folds, and the third deformation is considered to be the most dominant. These results are almost identical to the development history and characteristics of geological structure previously reported in the Yeongyang and Uiseong Blocks, Gyeongsang Basin, and further extensive research is required to investigate the presence or absence of a deformation structure formed in relation to the Yangsan, Yeongdeok, and Cheongok faults, which exhibit sinistral strike-slip movement.

경상분지, 영양지괴, 천곡단층, 지질구조, Gyeongsang basin, Yeongyang block, Cheongok fault, Geological structure