Displacive phase transitions in C -centred clinopyroxenes: spodumene, LiScSi 2 O 6 and ZnSiO 3

Abstract

The clinopyroxenes spodumene (LiAlSi2O6), LiScSi2O6 and ZnSiO3, all with space group C2/c at ambient conditions, were studied under high pressures by single-crystal X-ray diffraction in a diamond-anvil cell. Changes in the evolution of the unit-cell parameters, optical properties and the appearance of h + k odd reflections characteristic of a primitive lattice, indicate that all three pyroxenes undergo phase transitions. The transitions are mostly displacive in character, and are non-quenchable. Transition pressures are 3.19 GPa in spodumene, ∼0.6 GPa in LiScSi2O6 and 1.92 GPa in ZnSiO3. The space group of all three high-pressure phases was determined to be P21/c by structure refinement to single-crystal X-ray intensity data collected in the DAC. In the ZnSiO3 clinopyroxene the intermediate P21/c phase further transforms to a second C2/c phase (HP-C2/c) at 4.9 GPa (confirmed by structure refinement). The volume change at this transition is about 2.6%, three times larger than in the first phase transition, and typical of the P21/c→ HP-C2/c phase transitions found previously in MgSiO3, FeSiO3, etc. These results therefore provide the first direct evidence that the HP-C2/c and the HT-C2/c structures of pyroxenes are distinct polymorphs with the same space group. The phase transition from C2/c to P21/c symmetry in spodumene and LiScSi2O6 therefore occurs because the polymorphs stable at ambient conditions are isotypic to the high-temperature C2/c phases of clinopyroxenes such as pigeonite and clinoenstatite.