Unmixing of Phosphorus-bearing Melts on Earth and Mars
by Tamara Miranda Busche née Jakobczyk
Date of Examination:2019-03-26
Date of issue:2019-04-17
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Sharon Webb
Referee:Prof. Dr. Sharon Webb
Referee:Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wörner
Referee:Dr. Kirsten Techmer
Files in this item
Name:Dissertation_Busche_Tamara_2019.pdf
Size:30.4Mb
Format:PDF
Abstract
English
The aim of this study lies in the investigation on unmixing in aluminosilicate melts. Therefore, six glasses of peralkaline and peraluminous compositions were synthesized in the system CaO-Al2O3-SiO2, Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 and Na2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2. Additionally, a melt of Champagne composition was synthesized. Champagne is part of the Wishstone class rocks found on Gusev Crater on Mars and chemically resembles a basaltic melt with the exception that it exhibits naturally high P2O5 concentrations up to 10 wt% (Usui et al. 2008). Afterwards, concentrations of up to 8 mol% P2O5 were added to the melts. Furthermore, up to 8 mol% B2O3, 6 mol% F- and 6 mol% H2O were added to selected melts. The synthesis of the water-free samples was performed in a 1 atm furnace whereas the synthesis of the water-bearing melts was conducted in an internally heated pressure vessel (IHPV). Samples were analyzed with respect to the rheology and structure of the melts. The viscosity of the melts was measured by use of the micropenetration technique in the range of 10^8.5 Pa s to 10^13.5 Pa s. The heat capacity of the melts was determined using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The structure of the glasses was analyzed using Raman Spectroscopy as well as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Additionally, an Fe2+/Fetot determination was performed on the iron-bearing samples of Champagne composition by use of the micro-colorimetric determination of ferrous iron as described by Schuessler et al. (2008). This method was first introduced by Wilson (1960). The addition of P2O5 to the melt shows a different effect on peralkaline than on peraluminous melts. In peralkaline melts the addition of P2O5 results in an increase in viscosity caused by a higher polymerisation of the melt network. The increase in viscosity occurs up to a maximum viscosity, further increasing P2O5 concentration in the melt after the viscosity maximum results in a decreasing viscosity and, hence, a depolymerisation of the melt. The effect of P2O5 on viscosity is strongest in melts containing both Na and Ca whereas the lowest effect on viscosity is observed in only Ca-bearing melts. In peraluminous melts the addition of P2O5 results in a decreasing viscosity and, thus, decreasing polymerisation of the melt. A similar trend was described by Toplis and Dingwell (1996a). In iron-bearing melts the addition of P2O5 to the melts causes an increase in Fe2+/Fetot ratio, which poses a contradiction to viscosity data. This implies that the effect of iron speciation on structure is less pronounced than the effect of P2O5. The addition of B2O3 to the melt results in a decreasing viscosity. In case of peraluminous melts viscosity decreases linearly. In peralkaline melts viscosity decreases only slightly at low B2O3 concentrations whereas the decrease of viscosity becomes stronger at higher B2O3 concentrations. The incorporation of fluorine into the melt structure also results in a decreasing viscosity of the melt. The addition of fluorine to P2O5-bearing melts from Champagne series as well as the addition of water to all investigated melts results in crystallization of apatite. Unmixing of melts was mainly observed in peralkaline melts with high P2O5 concentrations that contain Fe and Ca as well as Na and Ca. Melts from the system CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 begin unmixing upon tempering of the samples. The unmixed phases consist of spheres of both melts. In iron-free melts the average size of the spheres ranges from approximately 200 – 500 nm. However, the spheres can reach a size up to 100 μm as observed in Champagne melt with the highest P2O5 concentration. Chemical analysis of both melt phases indicate that the original homogeneous melts separates into a Si-Al as well as a Ca-(Fe)-P-rich melt. Furthermore, it is observed that divalent cations are preferably enriched in the Ca-(Fe)-P-rich melt. Calculation of viscosity as well as heat capacities with models (Stebbins et al. 1984; Richet and Bottinga 1985; Richet 1987; Giordano et al. 2008b) demonstrates the strong effect of P2O5, B2O3 and F- on melt structure since the calculated values differ from the measured values. Therefore, these elements should be included into future models.
Keywords: Unmixing; Phase separation; silicate melts; P2O5; B2O3; fluorine; viscosity; Raman spectroscopy; Tempering; SEM; DSC; immiscibility; Champagne