Abstract

The shear viscosity, density, thermal expansivity and specific heat capacity are important factors controlling the morphology, rheology, and texture of volcanic flows and deposits. These physical properties of silicate melts largely depend on chemical composition, water content, crystal content, bubble content and stress applied to the melt. Recently, it has been recognized that the applied stress plays an important role in the so called “glass transition” area of silicate melts. This kinetic boundary between brittle and ductile behavior affects the eruptive style. Thorough knowledge of the physical processes that occur at this brittle/ductile transition can affect the decision making of governments during volcanic crises and help to reduce and/or avoid loss of life and assets. Scientific knowledge from this research can be directly applied to the geomaterial industry. In addition, natural magmatic rocks are the major raw material in the production of microfibres and continuous fibres. Compared to normal glass fibres, rock fibres have a remarkable high temperature endurance, acid and alkali resistance and anti-heat impact. Rock products can be used as substitutes for metal and timber. They are likely to become more widely used in the near future. Further use for natural magmatic rocks include crushed stone, concrete aggregate, railroad ballast, production of high quality textile fibres, floor tiles, acid-resistant equipment for heavy industrial use, rockwool, basalt pipers, basalt reinforcement bars, basalt fibre roofing felt (ruberoid), basalt laminate (used as a protective coating), heat-insulating basalt fibre materials and glass wool (fibre glass).

Since Bottinga and Weill (1970) first suggested that the density of melts in two or three component systems could be used to determine partial molar volumes of oxide components in silicate liquids, several models based upon this approach have been proposed in the Earth sciences literature. Considering that knowledge the densities of 8 Zn-bearing silicate melts have been determined, in equilibrium with air, in the temperature range of 1363 to 1850 K. The compositional joins investigated [sodium disilicate (NS2)- ZnO; anorthite-diopside 1 atm eutectic (AnDi)-ZnO; and diopside-petedunnite] were chosen based on the pre-existing experimental density data set, on their petrological relevance, and in order to provide a test for significant compositionally induced variations in the structural role of ZnO. The ZnO concentrations investigated range up to 25 mol% for sodium disilicate, 20 mol% for the anorthite-diopside 1 atm eutectic, and 25 mol% for petedunnite. Molar volumes and expansivities have been derived for all melts. The molar volumes of the liquids decrease with increasing ZnO content. The partial molar volume of ZnO derived from the volumetric measurements for each binary system is the same within error. A multicomponent fit to the volumetric data for all compositions yields a value of 13.59(0.55) cm3/mol at 1500 K. I find, no volumetric evidence for compositionally induced coordination number variations for ZnO in alkali-bearing vs. alkali-free silicate melts nor for Al-free vs. Al-bearing silicate melts.

The partial molar volume of ZnO determined here may be incorporated into existing multicomponent models for the prediction of silicate melt volume. High temperature density determinations on ZnO-bearing silicate melts indicate that a single value for the partial molar volume of ZnO is sufficient to describe the volumetric properties of this component in silicate melts. The presence of alkalies and Al does not appear to influence the partial molar volume of ZnO within the temperature range investigated here. There is no volumetric evidence across this temperature range presented for composition to influence the coordination polyhedron of ZnO in silicate melts.

The next physical property to be studied was thermal expansivity. Ten compositions from within the anort