M�ssbauer spectroscopic and x-ray powder diffraction studies of synthetic micas on the join annite KFe3AlSi3O10(OH)2-phlogopite KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2

Abstract

Micas of the composition K(Fe3−x Mg x )AlSi3 O10(OH)2 (x=0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3.0, corresponding to ann80phl20, ann60phl40, ann40phl60, ann20phl80 and ann0phl100) were synthesized hydrothermally under controlled oxygen fugacity conditions. Lattice parameters a 0 and b 0 show a distinct linear decrease with increasing Mg content. With increasing ferric iron content a deviation from this linear trend is observed especially within iron rich samples. The tetrahedral rotation angle α increases smoothly from 0° in annite to 9.1° in phlogopite. Mossbauer spectra show Fe2+ and Fe3+ on the octahedral M1 and M2 sites and partially also Fe3+ on the tetrahedral site. There is a smooth increase of the quadrupole splitting on both the M1 and the M2 site going from annite to phlogopite, probably due to changes in the lattice contribution to the electric field gradient, assuming a positive correlation between quadrupole splitting and distortion. Fe3+ contents, as determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy, versus oxygen fugacity shows that, depending on the composition of the micas, minimum amounts of Fe3+ are present. For ann80phl20 this minimum amount of Fe3+ is about 8% decreasing to about 1–2% Fe3+ for ann20phl80. The molar volume of each solid solution member has been estimated from the determined relations of the molar volume versus % Fe3+ contents, extrapolated back to 0% Fe3+. Plotting these volumes as a function of Xphl shows that negative excess volume occur in the annitephlogopite join, with the maximum deviation from ideality around X phl=0.3. Margules volume parameters have been constrained as: Wv, AnnPhl=0.018±0.016 J/(bar.mol) and Wv, PhlAnn=-0.391±0.025 J(bar.mol) (three site basis).