On the breakdown of zircon upon "dry" thermal annealing

Author(s)
Tamas Vaczi, Eugen Libowitzky, Mathias Mehofer, Lutz Nasdala, Tobias Häger, Richard Wirth
Abstract

Zircon samples without and with secondary chem. alteration from diverse sources were subjected to heat treatment at 1400 C for 96 h. Resulting new phases and textures suggest that decompn. of zircon into component oxides occurred in all expts. to various degrees. The crucible material was found to have a strong influence on the extent of breakdown, esp. in the case of altered starting materials. In this study the progressive stages of the breakdown of zircon grains are described. The factors that may govern the decompn. are discussed, including radiation damage, secondary alteration and external reaction conditions (sample container, atm.). Alumina crucibles should generally be avoided in dry annealing of zircon, to minimise uncontrolled breakdown into oxides.

Organisation(s)
Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography
External organisation(s)
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum
Journal
Mineralogy and Petrology
Volume
97
Pages
129-138
No. of pages
10
ISSN
0930-0708
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-009-0087-9
Publication date
2009
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
1030 Physics, Astronomy, 1051 Geology, Mineralogy
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/1a90419c-93b3-4b0b-a094-e00df691a2ce