Raman investigation of hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic compressions of OH- and F-apophyllites up to 8 GPa

Layer silicates F‐ and OH‐apophyllites, KCa4Si8O20(F, OH)·8H2O, have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy at hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic pressures up to ~8 GPa in diamond anvil cells using a 4 : 1 methanol–ethanol mix as pressure‐transmitting medium. Our experiments show that at hydrostatic compression, apophyllites retain their crystalline states (i.e. no amorphization) up to 5 GPa. The wavenumbers of most bands exhibit linear dependences on pressure, except for a few ones, e.g. at 162 and 3565 cm–1 in OH‐form (160.5 and 3558 cm–1 in F‐form) that show nonlinear dependences. Nonhydrostatic compression with additional uniaxial loading induces amorphization of apophyllites. The majority of the bands in OH‐apophyllite decreases markedly in intensity and shows considerable broadening under nonhydrostatic compression up to 3–6 GPa. In addition, the wavenumbers of several bands at nonhydrostatic compression exhibit considerable nonlinear dependences on pressure with strong hysteresis. These bands are mainly associated with vibrations of the interlayer ions and molecules and also of stretching and bending silicate sheets, hence being highly sensitive to the interlayer distance. Finally, we have calculated the lattice dynamics of F‐apophyllite and interpreted the majority of bands, and these data are used to explain the complex baric behavior of the bands. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Layer silicates F‐ and OH‐apophyllites, KCa4Si8O20(F, OH)·8H2O, have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy at hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic pressures up to ~8 GPa in a diamond anvil cell in a methanol–ethanol medium. At hydrostatic compression, apophyllites retain their crystalline states (i.e. no amorphization) up to 5 GPa so that the wavenumbers of most bands exhibit linear dependences on pressure. However, nonhydrostatic compression with additional uniaxial loading induces nonlinear dependences of these wavenumbers, widening bands and posterior amorphization of apophyllite.