Electrical conductivity measurements of aqueous fluids under pressure with a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell.

Abstract

Electrical conductivity data of aqueous fluids under pressure can be used to derive the dissociation constants of electrolytes, to assess the effect of ionic dissociation on mineral solubility, and to interpret magnetotelluric data of earth's interior where a free fluid phase is present. Due to limitation on the tensile strength of the alloy material of hydrothermal autoclaves, previous measurements of fluid conductivity were mostly restricted to less than 0.4 GPa and 800 °C. By adapting a Bassett-type hydrothermal diamond anvil cell, we have developed a new method for acquiring electrical conductivity of aqueous fluids under pressure. Our preliminary results for KCl solutions using the new method are consistent with literature data acquired with the conventional method, but the new method has great potential for working in a much broader pressure range.