Partitioning of Nb and Ta between rutile and felsic melt and the fractionation of Nb/Ta during partial melting of hydrous metabasalt

In order to fully assess the role of rutile in fractionation of Nb/Ta during partial melting of hydrous metabasalt, we have measured rutile - felsic melt partition coefficients (D values) for Nb and Ta with tonalitic to trondhjemitic compositions at 1.5-3.5 GPa, 900-1350 °C and ∼5.0-20 wt% H₂O. D_Nb, D_Ta and D_Nb/D_Ta range from 17 ± 1 to 246 ± 13, 34 ± 2 to 232 ± 25 and 0.51 ± 0.04 to 1.06 ± 0.13, respectively. For the compositions investigated, melt composition appears to have no observable effect on the partitioning; the effect of pressure is also slight; whereas temperature and H₂O have marked effects. D_Nb, D_Ta and D_Nb/D_Ta increase with decreasing temperature and H₂O content, showing a reversal of D_Nb/D_Ta from <1.0 to >1.0. Using the data that approached equilibrium and obeyed Henry’s law, expressions describing the dependences of D_Nb, D_Ta and D_Nb/D_Ta on temperature, pressure and melt H₂O content were obtained:

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