Abstract
Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations on a carbonate-silicate-metal
melt were performed to study speciation and coordination changes as a
function of pressure and temperature. We examine in detail the bond
abundances of specific element pairs and the distribution of
coordination environments over conditions spanning Earth’s present-day
mantle. Average coordination numbers increase continuously from 4 to 8
for Fe and Mg, from 4 to 6 for Si, and from 2 to 4 for C from 1 to 148
GPa (4,000 K). Speciation across all pressure and temperature conditions
is complex due to the unusual bonding of carbon. With increasing
pressure, C-C and C-Fe bonding increase significantly, resulting in the
formation of carbon polymers, C-Fe clusters, and the loss of carbonate
groups. The increased bonding of carbon with elements other than oxygen
indicate that carbon begins to replace oxygen as an anion in the melt
network. We evaluate our results in the context of diamond formation and
of metal-silicate partitioning behavior of carbon. Our work has
implications for properties of carbon and metal-bearing silicate melts,
such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, and reactivity with
surrounding phases.