Armalcolite stability as a function of pressure and oxygen fugacity

High-pressure experiments in a piston-cylinder apparatus with silver-palladium containers were conducted to study the stability of synthetic armalcolite, (Fe,Mg)Ti2O5, as a function of pressures up to 15 kbar at 1000, 1100, and 1200 C. Three armalcolite compositions were used, each with an initial Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratio of 0.5. Composition I contained no zirconium, whereas compositions II and III were prepared with 4% and 10% by weight ZrO2. Difference in stability due to the presence or absence of Zr in these synthetic armalcolites is discussed. 4 wt% ZrO2 appears to saturate armalcolite at 1200 C and 1 atm. Zirconium is found to reduce armalcolite stability, but this effect is not great. The stability of armalcolite as a function of oxygen fugacity is determined thermogravimetrically at 1200 C and 1 atm. Knowledge of the range of oxygen fugacity at which armalcolite is stable and of the equilibrium oxide mineral assemblages outside this range provides important information about lunar cooling histories in terms of oxygen fugacity.