Grain growth in synthetic marbles with added mica and water

Abstract

Evolution of grain size in synthetic marbles was traced from compaction of unconsolidated powder, through primary recrystallization and normal grain growth, to a size stabilized by second phases. To form the marbles, reagent grade CaCO3 was mixed with 0, 1 and 5 volume% mica and heat-treated under pressure with added water. Densification with negligible recrystallization occurred within one hour at 500° C and 500 MPa confining pressure. Primary recrystallization occurred at 500–550° C, causing increases of grain size of factors of 2–5. Resulting samples had uniform grain size, gently curved grain boundaries, and near-equilibrium triple junctions; they were used subsequently for normal grain growth studies. Normal grain growth occurred above 550° C; at 800° C, grain size (D) increased from 7 μm (D 0) to 65 μm in 24 hours. Growth rates fit the equation, D n -D 0 =Kt, where K is a constant and n≃2.6. Minor amounts of pores or mica particles inhibit normal grain growth and lead to a stabilized grain size, D max, which depends on the size of the second phases and the inverse of their volume fraction raised to a power between 0.3 and 1. Once D max is reached, normal growth continues only if second phases are mobile or coarsen, or if new driving forces are introduced that cause unpinning of boundaries. Normal grain growth in Solnhofen limestone was significantly slower than in pure synthetic marble, suggesting that migration is also inhibited by second phases in the limestone.