PETROGEOCHEMISTRY OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE) FROM HULU LANGAT AND BALING, MAIN RANGE GRANITE PROVINCE, MALAYSIA

Abstract

The research focused on the petrogeochemistry of potential weathered granitoids containing rare earth elements (REEs) in Peninsular Malaysia's Main Range Granite, specifically in the Hulu Langat and Baling region. Through mineralogical and geochemical analyses using methods like petrographic examination, XRF, XRD, and ICP-MS. Both regions are in the Western Belt Main Range S-type granitoids, Peninsular Malaysia. However, the mineralogy and geochemistry characteristics of the rock will be different. Thin sections were done to study the rock petrology which indicates, samples are granite rocks. There are minerals like quartz, biotite, and mica in rock samples, indicating limited weathering. There were six samples from Hulu Langat which is 1A, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3B and 4A while seven samples from Baling which is 1A, 2A, 3A, 4B, 6C, 8E and 9E. Selected samples from Baling were carried out several analyses. XRD analyses from Hulu Langat shown that presents of clay minerals like kaolinite, nacrite, quartz, microcline, muscovite while Baling samples shown that present of kaolinite which was formed from the weathering process. XRF analysis shown that both samples consist of major oxide compounds such as Al2O3 and SiO2 in the high concentration. ICP-MS results indicates that the TREE concentration of 8.583 ppm in sample 1A from Hulu Langat while 6.863 ppm in sample 1A from Baling. The lowest concentration 0.227 ppm in sample 3B.