Title: High temperature solvent growth of orthoenstatite, MgSiO<sub>3</sub>, in air
Abstract: Precise interlaboratory measurements of various physical properties of synthetic crystals of major mantle minerals will contribute to solving current controversies in solid earth geophysics. For this purpose, high quality crystals of orthoenstatite, MgSiO 3 , up to 5×2×1 mm size, were obtained by the primary crystallization of a melt in the system MgO‐SiO 2 ‐lithiumvanadomolybdate. The growth was effected by slow cooling of the melt from 930°C to 650°C at 1.5° per hour. The temperature coefficient of solubility of MgSiO 3 in this solvent is 0.023 (6.5wt%/280°C). The crystals are stoichiometric, transparent, and often euhedral, elongated parallel to c without parting or cleavage. Unit‐cell dimensions are a =18.212(4), b =8. 818(2), c =5.177(2) Å with space group Pbca . Superheating of the melt before cooling induced metastable nucleation and growth of protoenstatite which readily transformed to clinoenstatite on cooling, while rapid cooling of the melt resulted in metastable forsterites, Mg 2 SiO 4 .
Publication Year: 1975
Publication Date: 1975-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 47
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