QUANTUM-MECHANICAL CALCULATION OF THE SOLID-STATE EQUILIBRIUM MGO+ALPHA-AL2O3-REVERSIBLE-ARROW-MGAL2O4 (SPINEL) VERSUS PRESSURE

The ground-state crystal energies of cubic MgAl2O4 (spinel) and MgO (periclase) and of rhombohedral alpha-Al2O3 (corundum) have been calculated at different volumes, relaxing the corresponding structures, by all-electron periodic Hartree-Fock methods (CRYSTAL program). Basis sets of contracted Gaussian-type functions are employed for the 18 atomic (including d) orbitals representing each of the Mg, Al, and O atoms. Mulliken net atomic charges z(Mg)=1.86\e\ (MgO), z(Al)=2.30\e\ (alpha-Al2O3), z(Mg)=1.74\e\, and z(Al) = 2.24\e\ (spinel) are obtained. The elastic bulk modulus, the Murnaghan equation of state p(V) at the athermal limit, the Mg-O and Al-O bond compressibilities, and the binding energy have been derived for each phase (and the elastic constants C-11 and C-12 for spinel only). Comparison with existing experimental data is discussed. The enthalpy change for spinel decomposition into the simple oxides has been computed as a function of pressure, including a correction for the electron correlation energy based on local-density-functional theory. A decomposition pressure of 11 GPa at T=0 K is predicted, against values of 8 and 13 GPa derived from experimental thermodynamic data and from direct compression experiments, respectively.