Quantification of H, B and F in Kornerupine: Accuracy of SIMS and SREF (X-Ray Single-Crystal Structure-Refinement) Data

Abstract.

 We use a multiple-analytical approach based on secondary-ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray single-crystal structure refinement (SREF) and electron-probe micro-analysis (EPMA) to derive the complete crystal-chemical formula of a B-rich kornerupine-group mineral, prismatine, from Hrarigahy, Madagascar: (Ca_0.01Li_0.02Mg_0.20Fe²⁺ _0.10) (Mg_3.57Fe²⁺ _0.06 Al_5.37) (Si_3.84B_0.91Al_0.26)O₂₁ (OH_1.08F_0.07). SIMS matrix effects related to crystal structure were investigated by analyzing two grains with a known crystallographic orientation relative to the ion beam.

Boron orders at the T3 site. The refined site-scattering for T3, 6.33 eps (electrons per site) agrees well with the mean bond-length for this site (1.512 Å), which indicates nearly complete occupancy by B (85% rel.). B₂O₃ (∼ 4 wt%), derived by SREF, agrees with the SIMS data within analytical uncertainty using Si as the inner reference for the matrix. The occupancy of the X site obtained by combining the SIMS and EPMA data (5.30 eps; electrons per site) agrees with the refined site-scattering value (5.75 eps). Trace quantities of Li and Ca are ordered at this site. SIMS data for H₂O is in accord with the stoichiometric value, indicating complete occupancy at O10 by OH. Fluorine (∼ 0.17 wt%) orders at O10: it corresponds to ∼ 0.07 atoms per formula unit (apfu) vs. 0.15 apfu (atoms per formula unit) by SREF, indicating a slight overestimation of F with SREF, as previously observed in fluoborite.

Our data show that SIMS chemical matrix effects are well-calibrated, and emphasize the usefulness of independent micro-analytical techniques in testing the mutual accuracy and consistency of experimental data.