Microscopic analyses of weathered granite in ion-adsorption rare earth deposit of Jianxi Province, China.

ABSTRACT: Weathered granite of ion-adsorption rare earth elements (REEs) ore collected at Jiangxi Province, China was investigated to identify the minerals abundant in REEs. The analyses of scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for individual mineral particles of the weathered granite showed that kaolinitic particles formed by K-feldspar weathering contained large amounts of REEs. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)-EDS analyses revealed that the kaolinitic particles were mainly composed of kaolinite, illite and hematite. The elemental maps by Nano-SIMS for the kaolinitic particle clarified that La and Y are particularly concentrated in illite. The presence of illite presumably

SUBMITTER: Mukai H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7678834 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature