Pusat Pengajian Kejuruteraan Bahan dan Sumber Mineral - Monograf

Browse

Browsing Pusat Pengajian Kejuruteraan Bahan dan Sumber Mineral - Monograf by Author "Abdul Moin, Nor Amni Adira"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Characterization of resistates and gold mineralization from soil samples in the straight creek area (block B) Gua Musang, Kelantan
    (2012-07-05)
    Abdul Moin, Nor Amni Adira
    Pulai Mining Sdn Bhd is an active alluvial gold mine in Kelantan. The resistates of soil samples from Straight Creek area (Block B), one of the gold target areas for geochemical exploration by PMSB was studied and characterized using a comprehensive mineralogical approach includings binocular microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with EDX. In the resistates, the various minerals found are magnetic iron ore, cubic iron ore, irregular iron ore, milky quartz, clear quartz and greisen. All the samples show strong gold mineralization mainly in the reddish brown, irregular iron ore fragments, which gave a reddish streak. The gold particles cannot be seen even by the binocular microscope magnified to 40 times, but can only be observed using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) as the gold particles are generally around 0.1-2 micron in diameter. The other elements detected with the gold are Mg, As, K, Al and Si. The SEM may be utilized as a new technique/tool to indicate gold mineralization for gold exploration and processing using the resistates from the soil. The subangular shapes of the resistates, indicate little transportation from the source. The gold is likely to be associated with hydrothermal quartz vein system based on the high amount of milky quartz in the resistates, the presence of gold in the resistates and from the previous work (magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometry) that has be done in the study area, and which indicated two potential granitic sources under the volcanic.