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New density measurements on carbonate liquids and the partial molar volume of the CaCO3 component

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Abstract

Density measurements on nine liquids in the CaCO3–Li2CO3–Na2CO3–K2CO3 quaternary system were performed at 1 bar between 555 and 969 °C using the double-bob Archimedean method. Our density data on the end-member alkali carbonate liquids are in excellent agreement with the NIST standards compiled by Janz (1992). The results were fitted to a volume equation that is linear in composition and temperature; this model recovers the measured volumes within experimental error (±0.18% on average, with a maximum residual of ±0.50%). Our results indicate that the density of the CaCO3 component in natrocarbonate liquids is 2.502 (±0.014) g/cm3 at 800 °C and 1 bar, which is within the range of silicate melts; its coefficient of thermal expansion is 1.8 (±0.5)×10−4 K−1 at 800 °C. Although the volumes of carbonate liquids mix linearly with respect to carbonate components, they do not mix linearly with silicate liquids. Our data are used with those in the literature to estimate the value of \( \overline V _{CO_2 } \) in alkaline silicate magmas (≥20 cm3/mol at 1400 °C and 20 kbar), where CO2 is dissolved as carbonate in close association with Ca. Our volume measurements are combined with sound speed data in the literature to derive the compressibility of the end-member liquids Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3. These results are combined with calorimetric data to calculate the fusion curves for Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3 to 5 kbar; the calculations are in excellent agreement with experimental determinations of the respective melting reactions.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (EAR-9508133 and EAR-0087764). We wish to thank A. Kirfel and B. Barbier (Mineralogisch-Petrologisches Institut, Universität Bonn, Germany) for sharing their unpublished single-crystal X-ray diffraction data on the volume and thermal expansion of crystalline Li2CO3 at 1 bar. We especially thank Dr. D. Dobson for his e-mail correspondence, which helped us in our design of our density measurements of the CaCO3-bearing liquids under a stream of CO2. Helpful comments from D. Dobson, J. Wolff, and an anonymous reviewer significantly improved the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan , 2534 C.C. Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI , 48109-1063, USA

    Qiong Liu & Rebecca A. Lange

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  1. Qiong Liu
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  2. Rebecca A. Lange
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Correspondence to Qiong Liu.

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Editorial responsibility: I Carmichael

Appendix

Appendix

Table 8 shows the density of the experimental liquids.

Table 8. Density of the experimental liquids
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Liu, Q., Lange, R.A. New density measurements on carbonate liquids and the partial molar volume of the CaCO3 component. Contrib Mineral Petrol 146, 370–381 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-003-0505-7

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