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Experimental investigation of talc solubility in H sub 2 O-MgCl sub 2 -NaCl-HCl fluids in the range 500-700C, 2 kb

Journal Article · · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station (United States)

The equilibrium solubility of the talc-quartz mineral assemblage in H{sub 2}O-MgCl{sub 2}-NaCl-HCl fluids at 2 kb and temperatures in the range 500-700C has been determined using rapid-quench hydrothermal techniques. At 500C, the concentration of Mg measured in the fluid after quench decreased in a systematic, nonlinear fashion with increasing concentrations of NaCl, from 2.8 m Mg in NaCl-free solutions to 1.5 m in 5.1 m NaCl. In contrast, at 600 and 700C Mg molalities increased with increasing NaCl molalities. At 600C, the concentration of Mg increased from 0.072 to 0.12 m as the concentration of NaCl increased from 0.0 to 6.1 m. At 700C, Mg molality increased from an NaCl-free value of 0.0078 m, to 0.031 m in 6.3 m NaCl. The observed solubilities were compared to concentrations of aqueous species calculated by solving the series of mass-action and mass-balance equations that describe the activities and molalities of the relevant species in the fluid. It is concluded that at 500C, MgCl{sub 2}{sup 0}, MgCl+, and Mg{sup 2+} are the only Mg-species necessary to account for the observed behavior. The calculations suggest that the decrease in Mg results from both the increasing concentrations of Cl{sup {minus}} as NaCl concentration increases, and the changing dielectric properties of the fluid. At 600 and 700C, the presence of Mg-species in addition to MgCl{sub 2}{sup 0}, MgCl{sup +}, and Mg{sup 2+} may be required to describe the increased solubility observed in the experiments. Use of the slope-quantification method for identifying aqueous species indicates that higher order Mg-Cl species or Na-Mg-Cl species are possible, but the precision of the technique is not sufficient to uniquely identify the species.

OSTI ID:
7114344
Journal Information:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States) Vol. 55:10; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English