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Density of Fe-3.5wt% C liquid at high pressure and temperature and the effect of carbon on the density of the molten iron

  • Yuta Shimoyama
  • , Hidenori Terasaki
  • , Eiji Ohtani
  • , Satoru Urakawa
  • , Yusaku Takubo
  • , Keisuke Nishida
  • , Akio Suzuki
  • , Yoshinori Katayama

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Carbon is a plausible light element candidate in the Earth's outer core. We measured the density of liquid Fe-3.5wt% C up to 6.8GPa and 2200K using an X-ray absorption method. The compression curve of liquid Fe-C was fitted using the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state. The bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are K0,1500K=55.3±2.5GPa and (dK0/dP)T=5.2±1.5, and the thermal expansion coefficient is α=0.86±0.04×10-4K-1. The Fe-C density abruptly increases at pressures between 4.3 and 5.5GPa in the range of present temperatures. Compared with the results of previous density measurements of liquid Fe-C, the effect of carbon on the density of liquid Fe shows a nonideal mixing behavior. The abrupt density increase and nonideal mixing behavior are important factors in determining the light element content in the Earth's core.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)77-82
Number of pages6
JournalPhysics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Volume224
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2013

Keywords

  • Core
  • Density
  • Fe alloy liquid
  • High pressure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Geophysics
  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
  • Space and Planetary Science

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