Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Clay in Sokor and Jeli, Kelantan.

Abstract

Clay is considered as fine-grained, natural and earthy argillaceous material which are widely distributed in sediments as the products of sedimentation and diagenesis. The sample of rocks and clay soil from Sokor and several areas in Jeli, Kelantan have been analysed for geochemical and mineralogical properties. For geochemical analysis, the concentration of major elements was analysed using X-Ray Diffraction Fluorescene (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Spectroscopy in order to validate the clay mineral existence. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) also was used for trace element determination while the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to study the mineralogy of clay as well as petrography. From mineralogy and petrography studies using optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis show that the mineral distribution in the sample from both Sokor and Jeli area dominantly by quartz, biotite and K-feldspar mineral. It is supported by XRD analysis which showing the prominent peaks of quartz on 27Å and kaolinite on 12Å from the graph is easily identified. Chondrite normalise pattern is generated from ICP-MS result to constrain rare earth element (REE) behaviour and geochemical information. The normalised fractionation trends recorded below than usual REE deposition. This is because there is no mineral association of REE such as apatite and titanite found from the sample.