Experimental chlorine partitioning between forsterite, enstatite and aqueous fluid at upper mantle conditions.

Cl partition coefficients between forsterite, enstatite and coexisting Cl-bearing aqueous fluids were determined in a series of high pressure and temperature piston cylinder experiments at 2 GPa between 900 and 1300 °C in the system MgO-SiO2-H2O-NaCl-BaO-C±CaCl2±TiO2±Al2O3±F. Diamond aggregates were added to the experimental capsule set-up in order to separate the fluid from the solid residue and enable in situ analysis of the quenched solute by LA-ICP-MS. The chlorine content of forsterite and enstatite was measured by electron microprobe, and the nature of hydrous defects was investigated by infrared spectroscopy. Partition coefficients show similar incompatibility for Cl in forsterite and enstatite, with DClfo/fl = 0.0012 ± 0.0006, DClen/fl = 0.0018 ± 0.0008 and DClfo/en = 1.43 ± 0.71. The values determined for mineral/fluid partitioning are very similar to previously determined values for mineral/melt. Applying the new mineral/fluid partition coefficients to fluids in subduction zones, a contribution between 0.15% and 20% of the total chlorine from the nominally anhydrous minerals is estimated. Infrared spectra of experimental forsterite show absorption bands at 3525 and 3572 cm-1 that are characteristic for hydroxyl point defects associated with trace Ti substitutions, and strongly suggest that the TiO2 content of the system can influence the chlorine and OH incorporation via the stabilization of Ti-clinohumite-like point defects. The water contents for coexisting forsterite and enstatite in some runs were determined using unpolarized IR spectra and calculated water partition coefficients [Formula: see text] are between 0.01 and 0.5.

Experimental partitioning of halogens and other trace elements between olivine, pyroxenes, amphibole and aqueous fluid at 2 GPa and 900-1,300 °C.

We present new partition coefficients for various trace elements including Cl between olivine, pyroxenes, amphibole and coexisting chlorine-bearing aqueous fluid in a series of high-pressure experiments at 2 GPa between 900 and 1,300 °C in natural and synthetic systems. Diamond aggregates were added to the experimental capsule set-up in order to separate the fluid from the solid residue and enable in situ analysis of the quenched solute by LA-ICP-MS. The chlorine and fluorine contents in mantle minerals were measured by electron microprobe, and the nature of OH defects was investigated by infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, a fluorine-rich olivine from one selected sample was investigated by TEM. Results reveal average Cl concentrations in olivine and pyroxenes around 20 ppm and up to 900 ppm F in olivine, making olivine an important repository of halogens in the mantle. Chlorine is always incompatible with Cl partition coefficients DClolivine/fluid varying between 10-5 and 10-3, whereas DClorthopyroxene/fluid and DClclinopyroxene/fluid are ~10-4 and DClamphibole/fluid is ~5 × 10-3. Furthermore, partitioning results for incompatible trace element show that compatibilities of trace elements are generally ordered as Damph/fluid ≈ Dcpx/fluid > Dopx/fluid > Dol/fluid but that Dmineral/fluid for Li and P is very similar for all observed silicate phases. Infrared spectra of olivine synthesized in a F-free Ti-bearing system show absorption bands at 3,525 and ~3,570 cm-1. In F ± TiO2-bearing systems, additional absorption bands appear at ~3,535, ~3,595, 3,640 and 3,670 cm-1. Absorption bands at ~3,530 and ~3,570 cm-1, previously assigned to humite-like point defects, profit from low synthesis temperatures and the presence of F. The presence of planar defects could not be proved by TEM investigations, but dislocations in the olivine lattice were observed and are suggested to be an important site for halogen incorporation in olivine.

Authenticity and provenance studies of copper-bearing andesines using Cu isotope ratios and element analysis by fs-LA-MC-ICPMS and ns-LA-ICPMS.

Whereas colored andesine/labradorite had been thought unique to the North American continent, red andesine supposedly coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Mongolia, and Tibet has been on the market for the last 10 years. After red Mongolian andesine was proven to be Cu-diffused by heat treatment from colorless andesine starting material, efforts were taken to distinguish minerals sold as Tibetan and Mongolian andesine. Using nanosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), the main and trace element composition of andesines from different origins was determined. Mexican, Oregon, and Asian samples were clearly distinguishable by their main element content (CaO, SiO(2) Na(2)O, and K(2)O), whereas the composition of Mongolian, Tibetan, and DR Congo material was within the same range. Since the Li concentration was shown to be correlated with the Cu concentration, the formerly proposed differentiation by the Ba/Sr vs. Ba/Li ratio does not distinguish between samples from Tibet and Mongolia, but only between red and colorless material. Using femtosecond laser ablation multi-collector ICPMS in high-resolution mode, laboratory diffused samples showed variations up to 3‰ for (65)Cu/(63)Cu within one mineral due to the diffusion process. Ar isotope ratio measurements proved that heat treatment will reduce the amount of radiogenic (40)Ar in the samples significantly. Only low levels of radiogenic Ar were found in samples collected on-site in both mine locations in Tibet. Together with a high intra-sample variability of the Cu isotope ratio, andesine samples labeled as coming from Tibet are most probably Cu-diffused, using initially colorless Mongolian andesines as starting material. Therefore, at the moment, the only reliable source of colored andesine/labradorite remains the state of Oregon.

Analytical evidence of amorphous microdomains within nitridosilicate and nitridoaluminosilicate single crystals.

Single crystals of new nitridosilicates and nitridoaluminosilicates with excellent R values in X-ray investigations were analysed quantitatively using 30 to 60 microm single-spot LA-ICP-MS. Significant discrepancies between expected and measured chemical composition could not be explained by the crystallographic data. High spatial resolution analysis using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA, 10 microm) leads to the discovery of inhomogeneities in the crystalline material. The application of standard single-spot LA-ICP-MS with a spatial resolution of 30 to 60 microm is not suitable for the analysis of these crystals as the existing inhomogeneities dominate and alter the determined concentrations. However, owing to the better detection capabilities, a scanning LA-ICP-MS procedure enables a more representative analysis of single crystals of Ca(5)Si(2)Al(2)N(8) than single-spot LA-ICP-MS as a result of a larger sampling volume. It is highly likely that these impurities consist of amorphous, vitreous phases as powder diffraction X-ray data indicates the existence of a significant fraction of an X-ray amorphous material besides crystalline silicates. These microdomains contain less aluminium, silicon and calcium or are nearly free of aluminium, which explains the detected discrepancies in the chemical composition.