Behaviour of Fe4O5–Mg2Fe2O5 solid solutions and their relation to coexisting Mg–Fe silicates and oxide phases

Abstract

Experiments at high pressures and temperatures were carried out (1) to investigate the crystal-chemical behaviour of Fe4O5–Mg2Fe2O5 solid solutions and (2) to explore the phase relations involving (Mg,Fe)2Fe2O5 (denoted as O5-phase) and Mg–Fe silicates. Multi-anvil experiments were performed at 11–20 GPa and 1100–1600 °C using different starting compositions including two that were Si-bearing. In Si-free experiments the O5-phase coexists with Fe2O3, hp-(Mg,Fe)Fe2O4, (Mg,Fe)3Fe4O9 or an unquenchable phase of different stoichiometry. Si-bearing experiments yielded phase assemblages consisting of the O5-phase together with olivine, wadsleyite or ringwoodite, majoritic garnet or Fe3+-bearing phase B. However, (Mg,Fe)2Fe2O5 does not incorporate Si. Electron microprobe analyses revealed that phase B incorporates significant amounts of Fe2+ and Fe3+ (at least ~ 1.0 cations Fe per formula unit). Fe-L2,3-edge energy-loss near-edge structure spectra confirm the presence of ferric iron [Fe3+/Fetot = ~ 0.41(4)] and indicate substitution according to the following charge-balanced exchange: [4]Si4+ + [6]Mg2+ = 2Fe3+. The ability to accommodate Fe2+ and Fe3+ makes this potential “water-storing” mineral interesting since such substitutions should enlarge its stability field. The thermodynamic properties of Mg2Fe2O5 have been refined, yielding H°1bar,298 = − 1981.5 kJ mol− 1. Solid solution is complete across the Fe4O5–Mg2Fe2O5 binary. Molar volume decreases essentially linearly with increasing Mg content, consistent with ideal mixing behaviour. The partitioning of Mg and Fe2+ with silicates indicates that (Mg,Fe)2Fe2O5 has a strong preference for Fe2+. Modelling of partitioning with olivine is consistent with the O5-phase exhibiting ideal mixing behaviour. Mg–Fe2+ partitioning between (Mg,Fe)2Fe2O5 and ringwoodite or wadsleyite is influenced by the presence of Fe3+ and OH incorporation in the silicate phases.