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Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Ilmenite-Type Silicate with Pyrope Composition
oleh: Takayuki Ishii, Ryosuke Sinmyo, Tomoo Katsura
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-08-01 |
Deskripsi
Akimotoite, ilmenite-type MgSiO<sub>3</sub> high-pressure polymorph can be stable in the lower-mantle transition zone along average mantle and subducting slab geotherms. Significant amounts of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> can be incorporated into the structure, having the pyrope (Mg<sub>3</sub>Al<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>3</sub>O<sub>12</sub>) composition. Previous studies have investigated the effect of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> on its crystal structure at nearly endmember compositions. In this study, we synthesized high-quality ilmenite-type Mg<sub>3</sub>Al<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>3</sub>O<sub>12</sub> phase at 27 GPa and 1073 K by means of a Kawai-type multi-anvil press and refined the crystal structure at ambient conditions using a synchrotron X-ray diffraction data via the Rietveld method to examine the effect of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>. The unit-cell lattice parameters were determined to be <i>a</i> = 4.7553(7) Å, <i>c</i> = 13.310(2) Å, and <i>V</i> = 260.66(6) Å<sup>3</sup>, with <i>Z</i> = 6 (hexagonal, <i>R</i><inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mover accent="true"><mn>3</mn><mo>¯</mo></mover></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The volume of the present phase was placed on the akimotoite-corundum endmember join. However, the refined structure showed a strong nonlinear behavior of the <i>a</i>- and <i>c</i>-axes, which can be explained by Al incorporation into the MgO<sub>6</sub> and SiO<sub>6</sub> octahedral sites, which are distinctly different each other. Ilmenite-type Mg<sub>3</sub>Al<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>3</sub>O<sub>12</sub> phase may be found in shocked meteorites and can be a good indicator for shock conditions at relatively low temperatures of 1027–1127 K.