Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

0 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Inner core composition paradox revealed by sound velocities of Fe and Fe-Si alloy.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge of the sound velocity of core materials is essential to explain the observed anomalously low shear wave velocity (V_S) and high Poisson's ratio (σ) in the solid inner core. To date, neither V_S nor σ of Fe and Fe-Si alloy have been measured under core conditions. Here, we present V_S and σ derived from direct measurements of the compressional wave velocity, bulk sound velocity, and density of Fe and Fe-8.6 wt%Si up to ~230 GPa and ~5400 K. The new data show that neither the effect of temperature nor incorporation of Si would be sufficient to explain the observed low V_S and high σ of the inner core. A possible solution would add carbon (C) into the solid inner core that could further decrease V_S and increase σ. However, the physical property-based Fe-Si-C core models seemingly conflict with the partitioning behavior of Si and C between liquid and solid Fe.

SUBMITTER: Huang H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8807611 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Publications

Inner core composition paradox revealed by sound velocities of Fe and Fe-Si alloy.

Huang Haijun H Fan Lili L Liu Xun X Xu Feng F Wu Ye Y Yang Gang G Leng Chunwei C Wang Qingsong Q Weng Jidong J Wang Xiang X Cai Lingcang L Fei Yingwei Y

Nature communications 20220201 1

Knowledge of the sound velocity of core materials is essential to explain the observed anomalously low shear wave velocity (VS) and high Poisson's ratio (σ) in the solid inner core. To date, neither VS nor σ of Fe and Fe-Si alloy have been measured under core conditions. Here, we present VS and σ derived from direct measurements of the compressional wave velocity, bulk sound velocity, and density of Fe and Fe-8.6 wt%Si up to ~230 GPa and ~5400 K. The new data sho ...[more]

PMID: 35105891

Similar Datasets

Sound velocities of Fe and Fe-Si alloy in the Earth's core.

Project description:Compressional wave velocity-density (V(P)--ρ) relations of candidate Fe alloys at relevant pressure-temperature conditions of the Earth's core are critically needed to evaluate the composition, seismic signatures, and geodynamics of the planet's remotest region. Specifically, comparison between seismic V(P)--ρ profiles of the core and candidate Fe alloys provides first-order information on the amount and type of potential light elements--including H, C, O, Si, and/or S-needed to compensate the density deficit of the core. To address this issue, here we have surveyed and analyzed the literature results in conjunction with newly measured V(P)--ρ results of hexagonal closest-packed (hcp) Fe and hcp-Fe(0.85)Si(0.15) alloy using in situ high-energy resolution inelastic X-ray scattering and X-ray diffraction. The nature of the Fe-Si alloy where Si is readily soluble in Fe represents an ideal solid-solution case to better understand the light-element alloying effects. Our results show that high temperature significantly decreases the V(P) of hcp-Fe at high pressures, and the Fe-Si alloy exhibits similar high-pressure V(P)--ρ behavior to hcp-Fe via a constant density offset. These V(P)--ρ data at a given temperature can be better described by an empirical power-law function with a concave behavior at higher densities than with a linear approximation. Our new datasets, together with literature results, allow us to build new V(P)--ρ models of Fe alloys in order to determine the chemical composition of the core. Our models show that the V(P)--ρ profile of Fe with 8 wt % Si at 6,000 K matches well with the Preliminary Reference Earth Model of the inner core.

| S-EPMC3387122 | biostudies-literature

Carbon-depleted outer core revealed by sound velocity measurements of liquid iron-carbon alloy.

Project description:The relative abundance of light elements in the Earth's core has long been controversial. Recently, the presence of carbon in the core has been emphasized, because the density and sound velocities of the inner core may be consistent with solid Fe7C3. Here we report the longitudinal wave velocity of liquid Fe84C16 up to 70 GPa based on inelastic X-ray scattering measurements. We find the velocity to be substantially slower than that of solid iron and Fe3C and to be faster than that of liquid iron. The thermodynamic equation of state for liquid Fe84C16 is also obtained from the velocity data combined with previous density measurements at 1 bar. The longitudinal velocity of the outer core, about 4% faster than that of liquid iron, is consistent with the presence of 4-5 at.% carbon. However, that amount of carbon is too small to account for the outer core density deficit, suggesting that carbon cannot be a predominant light element in the core.

| S-EPMC4673837 | biostudies-literature

Melting phase relations in Fe-Si-H at high pressure and implications for Earth's inner core crystallization.

Project description:Hydrogen could be an important light element in planetary cores, but its effect on phase diagrams of iron alloys is not well known because the solubility of H in Fe is minimal at ambient pressure and high-pressure experiments on H-bearing systems have been challenging. Considering that silicon can be another major light element in planetary cores, here we performed melting experiments on the Fe-Si-H system at ~ 50 GPa and obtained the ternary liquidus phase relations and the solid/liquid partition coefficient, D of Si and H based on in-situ high-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements and ex-situ chemical and textural characterizations on recovered samples. Liquid crystallized hexagonal close-packed (hcp) (Fe0.93Si0.07)H0.25, which explains the observed density and velocities of the Earth's solid inner core. The relatively high DSi = 0.94(4) and DH = 0.70(12) suggest that in addition to Si and H, the liquid outer core includes other light elements such as O, which is least partitioned into solid Fe and can thus explain the density difference between the outer and inner core. H and O, as well as Si, are likely to be major core light elements, supporting the sequestration of a large amount of water in the Earth's core.

| S-EPMC9200858 | biostudies-literature

Constraints on Earth's inner core composition inferred from measurements of the sound velocity of hcp-iron in extreme conditions.

Project description:Hexagonal close-packed iron (hcp-Fe) is a main component of Earth's inner core. The difference in density between hcp-Fe and the inner core in the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) shows a density deficit, which implies an existence of light elements in the core. Sound velocities then provide an important constraint on the amount and kind of light elements in the core. Although seismological observations provide density-sound velocity data of Earth's core, there are few measurements in controlled laboratory conditions for comparison. We report the compressional sound velocity (V P) of hcp-Fe up to 163 GPa and 3000 K using inelastic x-ray scattering from a laser-heated sample in a diamond anvil cell. We propose a new high-temperature Birch's law for hcp-Fe, which gives us the V P of pure hcp-Fe up to core conditions. We find that Earth's inner core has a 4 to 5% smaller density and a 4 to 10% smaller V P than hcp-Fe. Our results demonstrate that components other than Fe in Earth's core are required to explain Earth's core density and velocity deficits compared to hcp-Fe. Assuming that the temperature effects on iron alloys are the same as those on hcp-Fe, we narrow down light elements in the inner core in terms of the velocity deficit. Hydrogen is a good candidate; thus, Earth's core may be a hidden hydrogen reservoir. Silicon and sulfur are also possible candidates and could show good agreement with PREM if we consider the presence of some melt in the inner core, anelasticity, and/or a premelting effect.

| S-EPMC4771440 | biostudies-literature

Investigation of Microstructure and Wear Properties of Precipitates-Strengthened Cu-Ni-Si-Fe Alloy.

Project description:Based on multi-component alloys using precipitation hardening, a Cu-Ni-Si-Fe copper alloy was prepared and studied for hardness, electrical conductivity, and wear resistance. Copper Nickel Silicon (Cu-Ni-Si) intermetallic compounds were observed as precipitates, leading to an increase in mechanical and physical properties. Further, the addition of Fe was discussed in intermetallic compound formation. Moreover, microstructures, age hardening, and dry sliding wear resistances of the present alloy were analyzed and compared with C17200 beryllium copper. The results showed that the present alloy performed extraordinarily, with 314 HV in hardness and 22.2 %IACS in conductivity, which is almost similar to C17200 alloy. Furthermore, the dry sliding wear resistance of the present alloy was 2199.3 (m/MPa·mm3) at an ambient temperature, leading to an improvement of 208% compared with the C17200 alloy.

| S-EPMC9921433 | biostudies-literature

Collective motion in hcp-Fe at Earth's inner core conditions.

Project description:Earth's inner core is predominantly composed of solid iron (Fe) and displays intriguing properties such as strong shear softening and an ultrahigh Poisson's ratio. Insofar, physical mechanisms to explain these features coherently remain highly debated. Here, we have studied longitudinal and shear wave velocities of hcp-Fe (hexagonal close-packed iron) at relevant pressure-temperature conditions of the inner core using in situ shock experiments and machine learning molecular dynamics (MLMD) simulations. Our results demonstrate that the shear wave velocity of hcp-Fe along the Hugoniot in the premelting condition, defined as T/Tm (Tm: melting temperature of iron) above 0.96, is significantly reduced by ~30%, while Poisson's ratio jumps to approximately 0.44. MLMD simulations at 230 to 330 GPa indicate that collective motion with fast diffusive atomic migration occurs in premelting hcp-Fe primarily along [100] or [010] crystallographic direction, contributing to its elastic softening and enhanced Poisson's ratio. Our study reveals that hcp-Fe atoms can diffusively migrate to neighboring positions, forming open-loop and close-loop clusters in the inner core conditions. Hcp-Fe with collective motion at the inner core conditions is thus not an ideal solid previously believed. The premelting hcp-Fe with collective motion behaves like an extremely soft solid with an ultralow shear modulus and an ultrahigh Poisson's ratio that are consistent with seismic observations of the region. Our findings indicate that premelting hcp-Fe with fast diffusive motion represents the underlying physical mechanism to help explain the unique seismic and geodynamic features of the inner core.

| S-EPMC10576103 | biostudies-literature

Sound velocity of hexagonal close-packed iron to the Earth’s inner core pressure

Project description:Here we determine the compressional and shear wave velocities (vp and vs) of hexagonal close-packed iron, a candidate for the main constituent of the Earth’s inner core, to pressures above 300 gigapascals using a newly designed diamond anvil cell and inelastic X-ray scattering combined with X-ray diffraction. The present results reveal that the vp and vs of the Preliminary reference Earth model (PREM) inner core are 4(±2)% and 36(±17)% slower than those of the pure iron, respectively at the centre of the core. The density and sound velocity of the PREM inner core can be explained by addition of 3(±1) wt% silicon and 3(±2) wt% sulphur to iron‒5 wt% nickel alloy. Our suggested inner core composition is consistent with the existing outer core model with oxygen, as the growth of the inner core may have created a secular enrichment of the element in the outer core. New constraints on the composition of Earth’s inner core are provided by experimental verification of Birch’s law for hexagonal close-packed iron to pressure above 300 gigapascals, about double the pressure achieved in previous investigations

| S-EPMC9700692 | biostudies-literature

Thermal conductivity of Fe-Si alloys and thermal stratification in Earth's core.

Project description:Light elements in Earth's core play a key role in driving convection and influencing geodynamics, both of which are crucial to the geodynamo. However, the thermal transport properties of iron alloys at high-pressure and -temperature conditions remain uncertain. Here we investigate the transport properties of solid hexagonal close-packed and liquid Fe-Si alloys with 4.3 and 9.0 wt % Si at high pressure and temperature using laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments and first-principles molecular dynamics and dynamical mean field theory calculations. In contrast to the case of Fe, Si impurity scattering gradually dominates the total scattering in Fe-Si alloys with increasing Si concentration, leading to temperature independence of the resistivity and less electron-electron contribution to the conductivity in Fe-9Si. Our results show a thermal conductivity of ∼100 to 110 W⋅m-1⋅K-1 for liquid Fe-9Si near the topmost outer core. If Earth's core consists of a large amount of silicon (e.g., > 4.3 wt %) with such a high thermal conductivity, a subadiabatic heat flow across the core-mantle boundary is likely, leaving a 400- to 500-km-deep thermally stratified layer below the core-mantle boundary, and challenges proposed thermal convection in Fe-Si liquid outer core.

| S-EPMC8740763 | biostudies-literature

A Modified Embedded-Atom Method Potential for a Quaternary Fe-Cr-Si-Mo Solid Solution Alloy.

Project description:Ferritic-martensitic steels, such as T91, are candidate materials for high-temperature applications, including superheaters, heat exchangers, and advanced nuclear reactors. Considering these alloys' wide applications, an atomistic understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for their excellent mechano-chemical properties is crucial. Here, we developed a modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) potential for the Fe-Cr-Si-Mo quaternary alloy system-i.e., four major elements of T91-using a multi-objective optimization approach to fit thermomechanical properties reported using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental measurements. Elastic constants calculated using the proposed potential for binary interactions agreed well with ab initio calculations. Furthermore, the computed thermal expansion and self-diffusion coefficients employing this potential are in good agreement with other studies. This potential will offer insightful atomistic knowledge to design alloys for use in harsh environments.

| S-EPMC10096159 | biostudies-literature

Composition and structure of magnetic high-temperature-phase, stable Fe-Au core-shell nanoparticles with zero-valent bcc Fe core.

Project description:Advanced quantitative TEM/EDXS methods were used to characterize different ultrastructures of magnetic Fe-Au core-shell nanoparticles formed by laser ablation in liquids. The findings demonstrate the presence of Au-rich alloy shells with varying composition in all structures and elemental bcc Fe cores. The identified structures are metastable phases interpreted by analogy to the bulk phase diagram. Based on this, we propose a formation mechanism of these complex ultrastructures. To show the magnetic response of these magnetic core nanoparticles protected by a noble metal shell, we demonstrate the formation of nanostrands in the presence of an external magnetic field. We find that it is possible to control the lengths of these strands by the iron content within the alloy nanoparticles.

| S-EPMC9417649 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

Tweets

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data