Raman spectroscopic measurements of CO2 density: Experimental calibration with high-pressure optical cell (HPOC) and fused silica capillary capsule (FSCC) with application to fluid inclusion observations

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method for the determination of CO2 densities in fluid inclusions, especially for those with small size and/or low fluid density. The relationship between CO2 Fermi diad split (Delta, cm(-1)) and CO2 density (rho, g/cm(3)) has been documented by several previous studies. However, significant discrepancies exist among these studies mainly because of inconsistent calibration procedures and lack of measurements for CO2 fluids having densities between 0.21 and 0.75 g/cm3, where liquid and vapor phases coexist near room temperature. In this study, a high-pressure optical cell and fused silica capillary capsules were used to prepare pure CO2 samples with densities between 0.0472 and 1.0060 g/cm(3). The measured CO2 Fermi diad splits were calibrated with two well established Raman bands of benzonitrile at 1192.6 and 1598.9 cm(-1). The relationship between the CO2 Fermi diad split and density can be represented by: rho = 47513.64243 - 1374.824414 x Delta + 13.25586152 x Delta(2) - 0.04258891551 x Delta(3) (r(2) = 0.99835, r = 0.0253 g/cm(3)), and this relationship was tested by synthetic fluid inclusions and natural CO2-rich fluid inclusions. The effects of temperature and the presence of H2O and CH4 on this relationship were also examined. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.