The Production and Geochemistry of Evaporite from the Acid Mine Drainage

This study has focused on the amount of evaporites and geochemical characteritics of evaporites from the acid mine drainage and on the variation of constituents in acid mine drainage during evaporation. The various colors of evaporites are frequently observed at the rock surfaces contacting acid mine drainage. In order to produce evaporites in the laboratory, acid mine drainages were sampled from the abandoned mine areas (GTa, GTb, GH and GB) and air-dried at room temperature. During the evaporation of acid mine drainages, TDS, EC values and the concentrations of major and minor ions increased, whereas ER and DO values decreased with time. The concentration of Fe increased gradually with evaporation time in the GTb and GB, whereas GH founded in one day but rapidly not detected in the other day after due to removal of Fe by formation-precipitation of amorphous Fe hydroxide. The amounts of the evaporites were produced in amounts of 4 g (GTa), 5 g (GB), 15 g (GH), and 24 g (GTb) from 4 liter of acid mine drainage after 80 days of the evaporation, respectively. In linear analysis from the products with the parameters which are the EC, TDS, salinity, ER, DO and pH contents in field, the determination coefficients were 0.98, 0.99, 0.98, 0.88, 0.89, and 0.25 respectively. If we measure the parameters in field, it would be easy to estimate the amount of evaporites in acid mine drainage. Gypsum and epsomite were identified in all of the evaporites by x-ray powder diffraction studies. Evaporite (GTb) was heated at 52, 65, 70, 95, 150, 250, and 350 degrees C for one hour in electrical furnaces. Gypsum, CaSO4 center dot 1/2H(2)O and kieserite were identified in the heated evaporite by XRD. With increased heating temperature, the intensity of the peak at 7.66 angstrom (diagnostic peak of gypsum), the peak at 5.59 angstrom (CaSO4 center dot 1/2H(2)O) and the peak at 4.83 angstrom(kieserite) decreased in x-ray diffraction due to dehydration. In the SEM and EDS analysis for the evaporite, gypsum of well-crystallized, radiating cluster of fibrous, acicular, and columnar shapes were observed in all samples. Ca was not detected in the EDS analysis of the flower structures of GTb. Because of that, the evaporite with flower structures is thought to be eposmite.