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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth

 

Keywords

  • Earth core
  • phase transitions
  • iron alloys

Index Terms

  • Mineral Physics: High-pressure behavior
  • Mineralogy and Petrology: Meteorite mineralogy and petrology
  • Mineralogy and Petrology: Planetary mineralogy and petrology
  • Mineral Physics: Equations of state
Abstract
Cited By (0)
 

Abstract

Structure and behavior of the barringerite Ni end-member, Ni2P, at deep Earth conditions and implications for natural Fe-Ni phosphides in planetary cores

Przemyslaw Dera

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Barbara Lavina

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Lauren A. Borkowski

High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Vitali B. Prakapenka

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Stephen R. Sutton

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Mark L. Rivers

Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA

Robert T. Downs

Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Nabil Z. Boctor

Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D. C., USA

Charles T. Prewitt

Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

High-pressure and high-temperature behavior of synthetic Ni2P has been studied in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell up to 50 GPa and 2200 K. Incongruent melting associated with formation of pyrite-type NiP2 and amorphous Ni-P alloy was found at an intermediate pressure range, between 6.5 and 40 GPa. Above 40 GPa, Ni2P melts congruently. At room conditions, Ni2P has hexagonal C22-type structure, and without heating it remains in this structure to at least 50 GPa. With a bulk modulus K 0 = 201(8) GPa and K' = 4.2(6), Ni2P is noticeably less compressible than hcp Fe, as well as all previously described iron phosphides, and its presence in the Earth core would favorably lower the core density. In contrast to Fe2P, the c/a ratio in Ni2P decreases on compression because of the lack of ferromagnetic interaction along the c direction. Lack of the C22→C23 transition in Ni2P rules out a stabilizing effect of Ni on the orthorhombic phase of natural (Fe1−x Ni x )2P allabogdanite.

Received 21 July 2008; accepted 18 December 2008; published 3 March 2009.

Citation: Dera, P., B. Lavina, L. A. Borkowski, V. B. Prakapenka, S. R. Sutton, M. L. Rivers, R. T. Downs, N. Z. Boctor, and C. T. Prewitt (2009), Structure and behavior of the barringerite Ni end-member, Ni2P, at deep Earth conditions and implications for natural Fe-Ni phosphides in planetary cores, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B03201, doi:10.1029/2008JB005944.

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