Rhondonite solubility and thermodynamic properties of aqueous MnCl2 in the system MnOSiO2HClH2O

The solubility of rhodonite, represented by the reaction MnSiO₃ (rhodonite) + 2HCl⁰ = MnCl₂⁰ + SiO₂ (quartz) + H₂O, was investigated experimentally in the temperature range 400°–700°C at 1 and 2 kbar by rapid-quench hydrothermal techniques and the Ag-AgCl buffer methods. Variations in the molalities of associated hydrogen chloride (m_HCl⁰) as a function of the molalities of total Mn indicate that Mn in the fluid in equilibrium with the assemblage rhodonite + quartz is predominantly associated as MnCl₂⁰. The Mn:Cl in the fluid ?2, indicating that Mn⁺² is the dominant oxidation state.The solubility data were used to calculate the equilibrium constant of the above reaction as a function of temperature, pressure, and the difference in Gibbs free energy of formation between MnCl₂⁰ and HCl⁰. The equilibrium constants of solubility for Mn minerals for which thermochemical data are available were also calculated. Calculated mineral solubilities were used in conjunction with the data of Frantz et al. (1981) to calculate the composition of supercritical fluids in equilibrium with Mn-bearing phases and assemblages. At 400°C and 1000 bars, supercritical fluids in equilibrium with olivines of compositions similar to those present in MORB tend to be enriched in Mn, despite the low mole fraction of tephroite in the olivine. Supercritical fluids in equilibrium with the assemblage quartz-hematite-rhodonite at 500° and 400°C and 1000 bars show high concentrations of Mn relative to Fe. Manganese concentrations in the fluids increase with decrease in the mole fraction of H, whereas Fe concentrations decrease. The data indicate that H fugacity plays a significant role in the separation of Mn from Fe in chloride-bearing hydrothermal fluids at supercritical temperatures.