Application of MELTS to kinetic evaporation models of FeO-bearing silicate melts

Abstract

Incorporation of the MELTS silicate melt solution model into models of evaporation successfully reproduces the evaporation behavior of alkali-free, FeO-bearing (greater than or equal to 2 mol%) chondritic melts at temperatures between 1700 and 2000 degrees C. In conjunction with the Berman CMAS melt solution model for FeO-poor melts, evaporation of alkali-free melts can now be modeled over a very wide range of conditions. MELTS-based evaporation models can also quite successfully reproduce the evaporation behavior of K when Al/(Na + K) > 1. However, reproduction of Na evaporation experiments is much poorer.