Experimental Study on the Effects of Organic Acids on the Dissolution of REE in the Weathering Crust of Granite

The results of REE leached by some organic acids with various concentrations and water/rock ratios for different durations from a mixed sample of the weathering crust of a granite in Gonghe, Guangdong, China, showed that: 1) the contents of REE leached increase with increasing concentrations of the organic acids; 2) the contents of REE leached by 0.01 mol/L organic acids increase with increasing water/rock ratio; 3) the interaction between the organic acids and the samples enhances the pH value of the medium and the contents of REE leached tend to increase with decreasing pH value; and 4) compared with those leached by ammonia sulfate, the REE leached by the organic acids are characterized by a weaker negative Ce anomaly, a stronger negative Eu anomaly, and lower (La/Sm)N and (Gd/Yb)N ratios, indicating that the organic acids have made contributions to the fractionation of REE in the weathering crust.