Production Of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) Using Malaysian Limestone Based Materials Via Continuous Production Technique

In present commercial practice, precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is normally manufactured by reacting the „milk of lime‟ with carbon dioxide (CO2) in a stirred tank batch reactor system. The drawback of this technique is PCC could not be produced uninterrupted for the required quantity in a real time process continuously. Thus, two newly designed lab scale reactors i.e. tall tubular and sprayed-mist are used in this study to produce PCC in continuous mode. The main aim is to investigate the operating variables that control the PCC synthesis using these continuous techniques as well as to evaluate the properties of the resulted PCC

Petrographic Analysis of Rocks in Tanah Puteh and Pulai, Gua Musang, Kelantan

Gua Musang, Kelantan is well known with diversity of rock associations and also rich in mineral resources such as gold and feldspar according to the existence of active mining sites in this area. The diversity of rock associations in Pulai and Tanah Puteh, Gua Musang have been identified and sampled for this study. The objectives are to determine the mineral association and its composition in various rock types as well as its distribution within these areas. Rock and soil samples have been collected for further analyses using petrography and geochemical analysis respectively. Limestone, tuff, shale, chert, phyllite are amongst of the rock types that have been sampled in this study area. The properties of mineral association in the thin section samples (from the rock samples) have been observed in details using optical microscope. Meanwhile, the results of xray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for selected samples have shown that the SiO2 were ranging between 66 to almost 80 wt.%, and Al2O3 varied from 17 to nearly 26 wt.%. The correlation of the mineral composition from chemical analysis are found in accordance with the mineral existence based on the petrographic studies on selected thin sections from Pulai and Tanah Puteh

Geochemical Studies of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Ion Adsorption Clays (IAC) in Gua Musang, Kelantan

Rare earth element (REE) become the ‘critical metals’ for green technology development that have been rapidly expanded worldwide in these days. REE is mainly originated from granitic rocks. REE in ion adsorption clay (IAC) is the product from weathering of granite. IAC are believed to store high concentration of heavy rare earth element (HREE) and light rare earth element (LREE). Gua Musang is selected for this study because it is located on the three longitudinal belts that composed of acid volcanic igneous rocks from Main Range, Senting and Boundary Range Granites. In this study, the characteristics of ion adsorption clays and REE distribution in Gua Musang have been studied by mineralogy and geochemical analyses. Rocks and soil samples were collected closed to the granite bodies and its surrounding to represent its weathering products. Polarised optical microscopy was used for petrography and mineralogy studies. From fieldwork observation, Gua Musang lithologies composed of carbonate facies, argillaceous facies and pyroclastic facies. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Inductive Coupled Plasma Microspectrometry (ICP-MS) were used accordingly to characterise the composition of major and trace elements in IAC samples. REE value in Pulai are the highest concentration as iron nodule have been found in the sampling area. Sample from Boundary Range granite also reported store high concentration of REEs in this study

Feldspar mineralogy and rare-earth element (re)mobilization in iron-oxide copper gold systems from South Australia: a nanoscale study

Nanoscale characterization (TEM on FIB-SEM-prepared foils) was undertaken on feldspars undergoing transformation from early post-magmatic (deuteric) to hydrothermal stages in granites hosting the Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit, and from the Cu-Au skarn at Hillside within the same iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) province, South Australia. These include complex perthitic textures, anomalously Ba-, Fe-, or REE-rich compositions, andREE-flourocarbonate + molybdenite assemblages which pseudomorph pre-existing feldspars. Epitaxial orientations between cryptoperthite (magmatic), patch perthite (dueteric) and replacive albite (hydrothermal) within vein perthite support interface-mediated reactions between pre-existing alkali-feldspars and pervading fluid, irrespective of micro-scale crystal morphology. Such observations are consistent with a coupled dissolution-reprecipitation reaction mechanism, which assists in grain-scale element remobilization via the generation of transient interconnected microporosity. Micro-scale aggregates of hydrothermal hyalophane (Ba-rich K-feldspar), crystallizing within previously albitized areas of andesine, reveal a complex assemblage of calc-silicate, As-bearing fluorapatite and Fe oxides along reaction boundaries in the enclosing albite-sericite assemblage typical of deuteric alteration. Such inclusions are good REE repositories and their presence supports REE remobilization at the grain-scale during early hydrothermal alteration. Iron-metasomatism is recognized by nanoscale maghemite inclusions within ‘red-stained’ orthoclase, as well as by hematite in REE-fluorocarbonates, which reflect broader-scale zonation patterns typical for IOCG systems. Potassium-feldspar from the contact between alkali-granite and skarn at Hillside is characterized by 100–1000 ppm REE, attributable to pervasive nanoscale inclusions of calc-silicates, concentrated along microfractures, or pore-attached. Feldspar replacement by REE-fluorcarbonates at Olympic Dam and nanoscale calc-silicate inclusions in feldspar at Hillside are both strong evidence for the role of feldspars in concentrating REE during intense metasomatism. Differences in mineralogical expression are due to the availability of associated elements. Lattice-scale intergrowths of assemblages indicative of Fe-metasomatism, REE-enrichment and sulfide deposition at Olympic Dam are evidence for a spatial and temporal relationship between these processes

Spatial-temporal evolution of skarn alteration in IOCG systems: evidence from petrography, mineral trace element signatures and fluid inclusion studies at Hillside, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

Hillside is a newly-discovered, undeveloped copper resource related to Mesoproterozoic Hiltaba Suite intrusives along the crustal-scale Pine Point fault on the eastern margin of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Mineralogical and petrographic study was undertaken on ~100 samples representative of all lithologies, parts of the deposit, and evolution from magmatic through prograde and retrograde skarn to late-stage hydrothermal overprint. Emphasis was placed on distributions of REE+Y and other trace elements in main minerals, and on the constraints these patterns provide for processes associated with alteration and mineralization. Alteration at Hillside is defined by diverse skarn assemblages. Most are readily interpreted as exoskarns formed onto (Moonta-Wallaroo Group) sedimentary protoliths. Two granitoids and associated pegmatites are indicative of composite (multiphase?) felsic magmatism. Granitoid emplacement and alkali-metasomatism pre-date skarn formation; the same initial alteration is recorded in coeval gabbros. The main prograde and retrograde associations [garnetite, garnet-(epidote-allanite-(Ce)) skarn, garnet-feldspar skarn and (pyroxenedominant) multi-component skarn] are defined by mineral associations and replacement relationships among calc-silicates and replacement of calc-silicates by secondary calcite±quartz±chlorite assemblages. Andradite-dominant garnet and diopside-dominant pyroxene are prograde minerals in this (magnetite-pyrite stable) association. Clinozoisite and amphibole are retrograde and co-exist with sulphides. Hematite-chalcopyrite+pyrite assemblages and advanced replacement of skarn minerals by calcite+quartz are associated with the late-retrograde stage. Skarnoid, at the skarn margin, contains the main skarn minerals, feldspars, grossular-rich garnet and minor wollastonite. LA-ICP-MS trace element datasets show that skarn minerals are rich in REY, Sn, HFSE and incompatible elements. Temporal (prograde-to-retrograde) evolution is recognised in terms of chondrite-normalised REY fractionation trends for garnet, with predictable patterns from sample to sample. Trace element concentrations in garnet represent the best guide to deposit-scale zonation patterns: Sn increases in garnet from N to S, and ΣREY increases from E to W. Trends for retrograde garnet are more varied, attributable to cycles of replacement, overgrowth and recrystallization. Nanoscale FIB-SEM-TEM investigation of feldspar and garnet allows distinction of whether key trace elements are lattice-bound or occur as nanoscale mineral inclusions. Preliminary fluid inclusion data provide evidence for early high-T, high-salinity fluids (~23 wt.% NaCl equiv., ~600 ºC, ~2 kbar) and the destructive influence of retrogression and reaction with later fluids tied to skarn collapse during uplift/fault reactivation (~1 wt.% NaCl equiv., <300 ºC, ~0.15 kbar). The study shows the potential value of LA-ICP-MS trace element signatures in garnet and accessories as petrogenetic tools and, potentially, as exploration vectors. The extraordinary petrographic and geochemical complexity implies that routine application of these patterns as an exploration tool is dependent upon recognition of underlying trends specific to protolith and spatial-temporal evolution. Hillside is defined as a Fe-Cu-(Au)-skarn that includes key features of an IOCG system. The deposit formed in a deep skarn setting (~6 km) and records a late-stage overprint during uplift and fault reactivation. The data can underpin sustainable genetic models for the Hillside deposit and contribute towards a metallogenic framework for the Olympic Cu-Au province, particularly with respect to the diversity of mineralization styles as an expression of ore formation at different crustal levels.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Physical Sciences, 2016

Geochemical Studies of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Ion Adsorption Clays (IAC) in Gua Musang, Kelantan

Rare earth element (REE) become the ‘critical metals’ for green technology development that have been rapidly expanded worldwide in these days. REE is mainly originated from granitic rocks. REE in ion adsorption clay (IAC) is the product from weathering of granite. IAC are believed to store high concentration of heavy rare earth element (HREE) and light rare earth element (LREE). Gua Musang is selected for this study because it is located on the three longitudinal belts that composed of acid volcanic igneous rocks from Main Range, Senting and Boundary Range Granites. In this study, the characteristics of ion adsorption clays and REE distribution in Gua Musang have been studied by mineralogy and geochemical analyses. Rocks and soil samples were collected closed to the granite bodies and its surrounding to represent its weathering products. Polarised optical microscopy was used for petrography and mineralogy studies. From fieldwork observation, Gua Musang lithologies composed of carbonate facies, argillaceous facies and pyroclastic facies. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Inductive Coupled Plasma Microspectrometry (ICP-MS) were used accordingly to characterise the composition of major and trace elements in IAC samples. REE value in Pulai are the highest concentration as iron nodule have been found in the sampling area. Sample from Boundary Range granite also reported store high concentration of REEs in this study

Petrographic Analysis of Rocks in Tanah Puteh and Pulai, Gua Musang, Kelantan

Gua Musang, Kelantan is well known with diversity of rock associations and also rich in mineral resources such as gold and feldspar according to the existence of active mining sites in this area. The diversity of rock associations in Pulai and Tanah Puteh, Gua Musang have been identified and sampled for this study. The objectives are to determine the mineral association and its composition in various rock types as well as its distribution within these areas. Rock and soil samples have been collected for further analyses using petrography and geochemical analysis respectively. Limestone, tuff, shale, chert, phyllite are amongst of the rock types that have been sampled in this study area. The properties of mineral association in the thin section samples (from the rock samples) have been observed in details using optical microscope. Meanwhile, the results of xray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for selected samples have shown that the SiO2 were ranging between 66 to almost 80 wt.%, and Al2O3 varied from 17 to nearly 26 wt.%. The correlation of the mineral composition from chemical analysis are found in accordance with the mineral existence based on the petrographic studies on selected thin sections from Pulai and Tanah Puteh

Feldspar mineralogy and rare-earth element (re)mobilization in iron-oxide copper gold systems from South Australia: a nanoscale study

Nanoscale characterization (TEM on FIB-SEM-prepared foils) was undertaken on feldspars undergoing transformation from early post-magmatic (deuteric) to hydrothermal stages in granites hosting the Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit, and from the Cu-Au skarn at Hillside within the same iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) province, South Australia. These include complex perthitic textures, anomalously Ba-, Fe-, or REE-rich compositions, andREE-flourocarbonate + molybdenite assemblages which pseudomorph pre-existing feldspars. Epitaxial orientations between cryptoperthite (magmatic), patch perthite (dueteric) and replacive albite (hydrothermal) within vein perthite support interface-mediated reactions between pre-existing alkali-feldspars and pervading fluid, irrespective of micro-scale crystal morphology. Such observations are consistent with a coupled dissolution-reprecipitation reaction mechanism, which assists in grain-scale element remobilization via the generation of transient interconnected microporosity. Micro-scale aggregates of hydrothermal hyalophane (Ba-rich K-feldspar), crystallizing within previously albitized areas of andesine, reveal a complex assemblage of calc-silicate, As-bearing fluorapatite and Fe oxides along reaction boundaries in the enclosing albite-sericite assemblage typical of deuteric alteration. Such inclusions are good REE repositories and their presence supports REE remobilization at the grain-scale during early hydrothermal alteration. Iron-metasomatism is recognized by nanoscale maghemite inclusions within ‘red-stained’ orthoclase, as well as by hematite in REE-fluorocarbonates, which reflect broader-scale zonation patterns typical for IOCG systems. Potassium-feldspar from the contact between alkali-granite and skarn at Hillside is characterized by 100–1000 ppm REE, attributable to pervasive nanoscale inclusions of calc-silicates, concentrated along microfractures, or pore-attached. Feldspar replacement by REE-fluorcarbonates at Olympic Dam and nanoscale calc-silicate inclusions in feldspar at Hillside are both strong evidence for the role of feldspars in concentrating REE during intense metasomatism. Differences in mineralogical expression are due to the availability of associated elements. Lattice-scale intergrowths of assemblages indicative of Fe-metasomatism, REE-enrichment and sulfide deposition at Olympic Dam are evidence for a spatial and temporal relationship between these processes