Mechanisms of isomorphic substitution in quartz

Abstract

Mechanisms of the incorporation of isomorphic impurities of Al, Ti, and Ge into quartz were studied by EPR techniques. For this purpose, laboratory experiments were carried out on quartz annealing, which allowed us to model the processes of impurity atom introduction into the quartz lattice. The investigation of the kinetics of these processes showed that they are described by diffusion-controlled reactions. In many samples, a proportional relationship was observed between the concentrations of Al and Ti impurities incorporated into the quartz structure during laboratory annealing. A comparison of the experimental results with the character of the natural distribution of isomorphic impurities in quartz revealed their similarity. Based on the analysis of the results of our investigations, two main mechanisms were proposed for isomorphic substitutions in quartz. One of them is referred to as the capture mechanism and corresponds to the incorporation of isomorphic impurities during mineral formation. The second, diffusion mechanism operates after the crystallization of quartz. The isomorphic impurities incorporated into the quartz structure by this mechanism are either formed through the decomposition and transformation of composite complexes or as a result of diffusion from crystalline and gas-liquid inclusions. It was suggested that both mechanisms are responsible for the incorporation of Al and Ge impurities into the mineral lattice, whereas Ti is introduced mainly by the diffusion mechanism. The accounting for the mechanisms of isomorphic substitutions provides a means to significantly increase the reliability of the interpretation of genetic information recorded in the distribution of structural impurities in quartz.