Diffusion in the titanomagnetite solid solution series

Abstract

AbstractIn order to be able to use the nature and scale of the exsolution microstructures developed in titanomagnetites as quantitative indicators of thermal history, it is necessary to have available accurate diffusion data for the system. Diffusion data for pure magnetite and Ti-poor titanomagnetites are available, but no data for diffusion in the centre of the solid-solution series exist. In order to obtain values for the activation energy (ΔE) and the pre-exponential factor (D0) for the interdiffusion of Fe and Ti in ulvöspinel-rich titanomagnetites, the natural microstructures developed in titanomagnetites from the Taberg intrusion, Sweden, were homogenized over a range of temperatures from 490 to 730 °C. From the model describing homogenization, values of 49.8 kcal mole−1 and 2.38 × 10−3 cm2 s−1 were calculated for ΔE and D0 respectively. Although the results obtained from these homogenization experiments are slightly less accurate than those which could be obtained by more conventional methods, the homogenization technique has several advantages which outweigh this drawback, namely the ease with which the experiment can be performed and the fact that the diffusion data can be obtained at significantly lower temperatures than is usually possible with more conventional methods.