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Abstract - The development in modern-high technology application is growing rapidly, resulting in the constant supply
of critical metal and rare earth elements (REE). Currently, resources of these elements are restricted and new source
of these elements need to be discovered accordingly. Scandium (Sc) as one of critical metals is an important metal
for electrolyte of solid oxide fuel cells and other advance technology. In addition, REE are the important elements in
the use of permanent magnets and rechargeable batteries. This manuscript reports an overview on the possibility of
scandium and rare earth element occurrences in Sulawesi. Sc is concentrated in limonite layers in Soroako ultramafic
rocks as a result of Fe3+ site substitution of mafic minerals (pyroxene, amphibole, etc.) during a laterization process.
REE are enriched in association with clay minerals in B horizon from heavily weathered granitic rocks in Palu and
Masamba, suggesting the possibility of ion-adsorption style mineralization. The lateritic soil of the ultramafic rocks
and the weathered crusts of the granitic rocks in Sulawesi could be the potential sources of scandium and rare earth
elements, respectively.
Keywords: scandium, rare earth element, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Introduction
IJOG/JGI (Jurnal Geologi Indonesia) - Acredited by LIPI No. 547/AU2/P2MI-LIPI/06/2013, valid 21 June 2013 - 21 June 2016
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Result
122oE
124oE
2o N
o
Molucca Sea 0
Batui Thrust
Tomini Bay
Palu
Str
ait
sar
Sula Thrust
Ma
kas
Banggai-Sula
Micro-continent
EAST ARM
ault 2o S
orong F
2 S
o
South S
Matano Fault
SOUTHEAST
ARM
Lawanopo
Fault
Bone
Gulf
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SOUTH
o
4 S ARM
4o S
Baru Complex
Bantimala
Complex
Walanae
Fault
Makassar
6 S
Selayar
Island
120 E
o
Buton
Island
Microcontinent
Banda Sea
100 km
Central Sulawesi
Metamorphic Belt
Ophiolite melange
Pompangeo Complex
Mesozoic or younger
metamorphic and
ultramac mac
basement complex
Central Sulawesi
Metamorphic Belt
Tukang Besi
Micro-continent
122 E
Cenozoic volcanic
and plutonic rocks
Tertiary sediments
East Sulawesi
Ophiolite
(ESO) Belt
Muna Island
Quaternary sediments
Tertiary carbonates
East Sulawesi
Ophiolite (ESO) Belt
Neogene and
Quaternary sediments
6 S
o
124 E
o
Banggai-Sula
and Tukang Besi
Micro-continent
Continental basement
Major thrust
Major strike-slip fault
Active volcano
Figure 1. Geological map and tectonic setting of Sulawesi Island (modified after Kadarusman et al., 2004; Maulana, 2009).
120 o 0'0" E
125 o 0'0" E
Ultramafic Rock
Late
15 0'0" N
ene
Eoc
Thrust
Fault
10 0'0" N
o
5 0'0" N
Pa
t
Isl awan
an
d
10 0'0" N
Phillipines
123 o 0'0" E
5 0'0" N
120 o 0'0" E
us
tceo
Crea
Laterite Ni Deposits
15 0'0" N
Granitic rock
apore
Sing
120
240
120 0'0" E
o
480 km
125 0'0" E
o
Equator
0 0'0"
0 0'0"
Sulawesi
6 0'0" S
120 0'0" E
o
50 100
200 km
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Makassar
6 0'0" S
3 0'0" S
3 0'0" S
Indonesia
123 0'0" E
o
Figure 2. Map showing granitic rocks, ultramafic rocks, and lateritic Ni deposit distribution in Sulawesi Island. Inset figure
show ultramafic and lateritic Ni deposit distribution in the Philippines which have been exploited for Sc (Granitic rocks distribution is from Maulana, 2013; ultramafic rocks distribution from Kadarusman et al., 2004; Ni deposit in the Phillippines
is from Yumul, 2007).
0.5 m
Overburden Zone
Limonite Zone
1.6 m
Saprolite Zone
hor B
Saprolite Zone
hor A (PL-15A)
B1 (PL-15B)
B2 (PL-15b2)
4.2 m
Parent rock
Bedrock Zone
Figure 3. Weathering profile of (a) lateritic deposit from ultramafic rock in Soroako area and (b) granitic rocks from Palu area.
(%) Weight
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.2
1.4
10
ppm
20
30
40
50
60 0
50
(%) Weight
100 0
10
15
20
25
RL
YL
SS
HS
BR
Sc
Fe2O3
SiO2:MgO
Co Ni
(%) Weight
0
0.5
RL
YL
2.5 0
ppm
10 20 30
40
50 60
70 80 0
50
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SS
1.5
(%) Weight
BR
Sc
Co Ni
Fe2O3
SiO2:MgO
Figure 4. Diagram showing vertical distribution of some elements in: (a). Petea; (b).West Block.
Mamasa
ML-50A
LREE
ML-50B
Palu
PL-15A
PL-15B1
LREE
HREE
Y
Fresh
HREE
PL-15B2
Fresh
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
100
200
300
400
Figure 5. REE composition of weathered granitic rocks from: (a). Mamasa, and (b).Palu.
Discussion
in the parent rocks. The enrichment of REE occurred mainly in B-2 horizon, where the total REE
content is up to 314 ppm (REE + Y = 337 ppm).
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Scandium
Sc occurrence in Sulawesi was firstly reported
by Kadarusman et al. (2004) and Maulana et al.
(2015) from bulk rock composition of ultramafic
rocks. It is reported that Sc content is abundant
in pyroxenite from Bantimala Complex, South
Sulawesi (Maulana et al., 2015). Sulawesi Island
is located in the central part of the Indonesian
Archipelago, which consists of four tectonic
provinces (Kadarusman et al., 2004; Maulana,
2009; Maulana et al., 2015): (1) the West and
North Sulawesi Pluto-Volcanic Arc in the south
and north arms of the island, (2) the Central
Sulawesi Metamorphic Belt, extending from the
centre of the island to the southeastern arm, (3)
the East Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt in the eastern
arm, and (4) the Banggai-Sula and Tukang Besi
continental fragments (Figure 1). Each tectonic
province has occurrences of Mesozoic rocks
containing metamorphic and mafic-ultramafic
suites. The mafic-ultramafic sequences have been
variously interpreted as members of ophiolites
from different tectonic settings (Figure 2).
Whole-rock geochemical data of the laterites
from Soroako ultramafic rocks suggest that Sc
is likely to exist in Fe oxides and pyroxene-rich
bedrock (harzburgite in composition). Notably, Sc
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Minerals
0.14 - 0.22
Olivine
1.23 - 2.92
2.5 - 3.5
Rock type
Method
Basalt
Othopyroxene
Basalt
Clinopyroxene
2.18
Amphibole
Basalt
0.008
Plagioclase
Basalt
Experiment
1.96
Magnetite
1.8
Limenite
Basalt
Conclusion
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Acknowledgements
References
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tion for arc evolution. Island Arc, 16, p.306317. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1738.2007.00573.x
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Yumul, Jr., G.P., 2007. Westward younging disposition of Philippine ophiolite and its implica-
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