Heat capacity of γ-Fe2SiO4 between 5 and 303 K and derived thermodynamic properties

A multi-anvil device was used to synthesize 24 mg of pure γ-Fe2SiO4 crystals at 8.5 GPa and 1,273 K. The low-temperature heat capacity (Cp) of γ-Fe2SiO4 was measured between 5 and 303 K using the heat capacity option of a physical properties measurement system. The measured heat capacity data show a broad λ-transition at 11.8 K. The difference in the Cp between fayalite and γ-Fe2SiO4 is reduced as the temperature increases in the range of 50–300 K. The gap in Cp data between 300 and 350 K of γ-Fe2SiO4 is an impediment to calculation of a precise Cp equation above 298 K that can be used for phase equilibrium calculations at high temperatures and high pressures. The Cp and entropy of γ-Fe2SiO4 at standard temperature and pressure (S°298) are 131.1 ± 0.6 and 140.2 ± 0.4 J mol−1 K−1, respectively. The Gibbs free energy at standard pressure and temperature (ΔG°f,298) is calculated to be −1,369.3 ± 2.7 J mol−1 based on the new entropy data. The phase boundary for the fayalite–γ-Fe2SiO4 transition at 298 K based on current thermodynamic data is located at 2.4 ± 0.6 GPa with a slope of 25.4 bars/K, consistent with extrapolated results of previous experimental studies.