High-pressure high-temperature transitions in MgCr2O4 and crystal structures of new Mg2Cr2O5 and post-spinel MgCr2O4 phases with implications for ultrahigh-pressure chromitites in ophiolites

We determined phase relations in MgCr2O4 at 12-28 GPa and 1000-1600 degrees C using a multi-anvil apparatus. At 12-15 GPa, spinel-type MgCr2O4 (magnesiochromite) first decomposes into a mixture of new Mg2Cr2O5 phase + corundum-type Cr2O3 at 1100-1600 degrees C, but it dissociates first into MgO periclase + corundum-type Cr2O3 at 1000 degrees C. At about 17-19 GPa, the mixture of Mg2Cr2O5 phase + corundum-type Cr2O3 transforms to a single MgCr2O4 phase. Structure refinements using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data indicated that the high-pressure MgCr2O4 phase has a CaTi2O4-type structure (Cmcm), and that the basic structure of the Mg2Cr2O5 phase is the same as that of recently found modified ludwigite-type Mg2Al2O5 and Fe2Cr2O5 (Pbam). The phase relations in this study may suggest that natural chromitites in the Luobusa ophiolite regarded as the deep-mantle origin were derived from the mantle shallower than the depths corresponding to pressure of 12-15 GPa because of absence of the assemblage of (Mg,Fe)(2)Cr2O5 + Cr2O3 in the chromitites.