Thermal equation of state of natural chromium spinel up to 26.8 GPa and 628 K

A pressure–volume–temperature data set has been obtained for natural chromium spinel, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a resistance heated diamond-anvil cell (RHDAC). The unit cell parameter of the chromium spinel was measured by energy dispersive X-ray diffraction up to pressures of 26.8 GPa and temperatures of 628 K. No phase change has been observed. The observed P–V–T data were fit to the high-temperature Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, with V 0 fixed at its experimental value, yields K 0 = 209 ± 9 GPa, (∂K/∂T)P = −0.056 ± 0.035 GPa K−1, and α0 = 7±1 × 10−5 K−1. The temperature derivative of the bulk modulus (∂K/∂T)P of chromium spinel is determined here for the first time. The obtained K 0 is slightly higher than the previous results of synthetic spinel. We suggest that Fe2+–Mg2+ substitution is responsible for the high bulk modulus of chromium spinel.