Influence of liquid structure on diffusive isotope separation in molten silicates and aqueous solutions

Molecular diffusion in natural volcanic liquids discriminates between isotopes of major ions (e.g., Fe, Mg, Ca, and Li). Although isotope separation by diffusion is expected on theoretical grounds, the dependence on mass is highly variable for different elements and in different media. Silicate liquid diffusion experiments using simple liquid compositions were carried out to further probe the compositional dependence of diffusive isotopic discrimination and its relationship to liquid structure. Two diffusion couples consisting of the mineral constituents anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8; denoted AN), albite (NaAlSi3O8; denoted AB), and diopside (CaMgSi2O6; denoted DI) were held at 1450 °C for 2 h and then quenched to ambient pressure and temperature. Major-element as well as Ca and Mg isotope profiles were measured on the recovered quenched glasses. In both experiments, Ca diffuses rapidly with respect to Si. In the AB–AN experiment, DCa/DSi ≈ 20 and the efficiency of isotope separation for Ca is much greater than in natural liquid experiments where DCa/DSi ≈ 1. In the AB–DI experiment, DCa/DSi ≈ 6 and the efficiency of isotope separation is between that of the natural liquid experiments and the AB–AN experiment. In the AB–DI experiment, DMg/DSi ≈ 1 and the efficiency of isotope separation for Mg is smaller than it is for Ca yet similar to that observed for Mg in natural liquids.The results from the experiments reported here, in combination with results from natural volcanic liquids, show clearly that the efficiency of diffusive separation of Ca isotopes is systematically related to the solvent-normalized diffusivity – the ratio of the diffusivity of the cation (DCa) to the diffusivity of silicon (DSi). The results on Ca isotopes are consistent with available data on Fe, Li, and Mg isotopes in silicate liquids, when considered in terms of the parameter Dcation/DSi  . Cations diffusing in aqueous solutions display a similar relationship between isotopic separation efficiency and Dcation/DH2ODcation/DH2O, although the efficiencies are smaller than in silicate liquids. Our empirical relationship provides a tool for predicting the magnitude of diffusive isotopic effects in many geologic environments and a basis for a more comprehensive theory of isotope separation in liquid solutions. We present a conceptual model for the relationship between diffusivity and liquid structure that is consistent with available data.