Electrical conductivity, thermopower and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of an Fe-rich amphibole, arfvedsonite

Schmidbauer, E.; Kunzmann, Th.; Fehr, Th. and Hochleitner, Rupert (1996): Electrical conductivity, thermopower and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of an Fe-rich amphibole, arfvedsonite. In: Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 23, No. 2: pp. 99-106

Abstract

The electrical charge transport was examined in an Fe-rich amphibole, arfvedsonite, using frequency dependent AC resistivity (impedance spectroscopy) and thermopower θ measurements in the temperature range 30-800°C. Two different semiconducting charge transfer mechanisms were observed which are due to volume conduction for measurements parallel and perpendicular to the [001] direction; they arise probably from a conduction mechanism related to lattice defects, both with activation energies EA≈0.4 eV. The extrapolated DC conductivity, for a fixed temperature, along [001] is about 5-6 times higher than that perpendicular to [001]. From the temperature independent positive θ values it follows that hole conduction occurs, and a hopping-type charge transport is acting, probably effected by electron hopping Fe2+ →Fe3+. Possible charge transfer paths are discussed. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra enabled to determine the relative concentrations of Fe2+ and Fe3+. From a comparison of these data and from θ results it is concluded that the main fraction of Fe2+ and Fe3+ take part in long range charge transport.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Geosciences > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > Crystallography and Materials Science
• Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences and geology
• Language: English