IDENTIFICATION OF CLAY MINERAL AS A POTENTIAL OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS ION-ADSORPTION TYPE: CASE STUDY OF MAMASA, WEST SULAWESI

• Main Author: Mafaza, Femalda
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/74852
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are elements from the lanthanide group+Sc+Y that currently play a critical role in several modern technological industries. Due to their scarcity, the number of exploration for REEs has been increasing, and therefore, this research was conducted as a preliminary study aiming to identify clay minerals from weathered granitoids as carriers of ion adsorption-type REEs in the Mamasa Regency, West Sulawesi, using petrographic analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Reflectance Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Petrographic analysis reveals that the parent rock in Pebassian Mamasa Village, is granodiorite, and the minerals suspected to carry REEs are zircon and monazite. Clay minerals such as kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, saponite, and illite were identified as potential clay minerals capable of binding REEs. The occurrence of REEs in the Mamasa Regency, West Sulawesi, indicates that REEs are carried by clay minerals belonging to the kaolinite, smectite, and illite groups, due to the ability of these clay minerals to adsorb REE ions on their surfaces.