The effect of Fe incorporation on the single-crystal elasticity of δ-AlOOH

The seismic mapping of hydrous materials in the Earth's deep interior requires experimental constraints on the elastic anisotropy of hydrous minerals and phases. Oxyhydroxides like delta-(Al,Fe)OOH are arguably the main hosts of water in the lower mantle. Therefore, constraints on the single-crystal elastic tensor of delta-(Al,Fe)OOH solid solutions are crucial to quantify the elastic anisotropy of this material, and advance the current understanding of the recycling of water into the lower mantle. Yet, experimental data for intermediate compositions are scarce, limiting the understanding of how Fe incorporation affects the single-crystal elastic properties of delta-AlOOH. In this study, we provide experimental constraints on the single-crystal elasticity of two delta-(Al,Fe)OOH solid solutions, with Fe/(Al + Fe) of 0.06(1) and 0.133(3). Large single-crystal samples of delta-(Al,Fe)OOH were synthetized at high pressures and temperatures using a multi-anvil press, and the full elastic stiffness tensors were determined at ambient conditions by combining X-ray diffraction and Brillouin scattering measurements. We show that replacing Al3+ with Fe3+ in delta-(Al,Fe)OOH lowers the magnitude of most coefficients of the elastic stiffness tensor (cij), which translates into a substantial reduction of aggregate moduli and acoustic wave velocities. We further show that, at ambient conditions, the acoustic anisotropy of delta-(Al,Fe)OOH displays no sensitivity to Fe-Al substitution.