Spinels at elevated Pressure and Temperature: Linking Geo- and Material-Scientific Projects

Minerals with spinel structure and general formula AB2O4 show a broad range of composition and physical properties and some of them sustain high pressures and temperatures. Therefore, minerals and crystals with spinel structure are investigated both, in nature and in applied sciences. In nature, spinels are among the most common non-silicate oxides in the Earth s crust and upper mantle and extraterrestrial planets. Due to their broad variety of physical properties and chemical resistance, this group of crystals is widely used as artificial material and an ideal example to design and optimize materials for use under extreme conditions. The goal of this project is therefore the in-situ determination of physical properties and stability of spinels under high pressure and temperature conditions, to 1. derive a systematic understanding of property-structure-chemistry relations and to 2. quantitatively understand the underlying mechanisms and processes of the observed properties. To answer some of the most pressing questions in this field, in-situ experiments using multi-anvil techniques in combination with X-ray techniques at the German Electron Synchrotron facility in Hamburg (DESY) will simultaneously be performed to the determination of elastic properties. This project will link earth and applied science initiatives studying spinel minerals and crystals.

DFG-Verfahren Schwerpunktprogramme

Teilprojekt zu SPP 1236:  Strukturen und Eigenschaften von Kristallen bei extrem hohen Drücken und Temperaturen

Beteiligte Personen Professor Dr. Matthias Gottschalk; Professor Dr. Sandro Jahn; Dr. Christian Lathe; Dr. Hans Joachim Müller; Privatdozent Hans Josef Reichmann, Ph.D.