The structure of Fe–Si alloy in Earth's inner core

Phase relations of iron–silicon alloy (Fe–6.5 wt.% Si and Fe–9 wt.% Si) were investigated up to 407 GPa and 5960 K in a laser-heated diamond–anvil cell, which likely covers the entire pressure and temperature conditions of the Earth's inner core. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements show that Fe–9 wt.% Si with a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure is stable to 4800 K at 330 GPa, corresponding to the pressure at the inner/outer core boundary, and decomposes into a mixture of Si-poor hcp and Si-rich CsCl-type (B2) phases at higher temperatures. We also found that the solubility of silicon in solid iron is relatively insensitive to temperature, decreasing from 9 to >6.5 wt.% over a range of 1500 K at 70 GPa. These suggest that the inner core is composed solely of the hcp phase, when the silicon content is up to 7 wt.% that likely accounts for the inner core density deficit as well as for the Mg/Si ratio and the Si isotopic composition of the mantle. Additionally, the present experiments demonstrate that the incorporation of silicon in iron expands the stability of hcp with respect to that of fcc. •Phase relations of Fe–Si alloys were studied by laser-heated DAC to 407 GPa and 5960 K.•The EOS of hcp Fe–9 wt.% Si was obtained on the basis of compression data to 305 GPa.•Fe–7 wt.% Si crystallizes hcp as a single phase at inner core conditions.•Incorporation of silicon in iron stabilizes hcp relative to fcc.