Electrical conductivity of MgCO3 at high pressures and high temperatures

The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline magnesite (MgCO₃) was measured at 3-6 GPa at high temperatures using complex impedance spectroscopy in a multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus. The electrical conductivity increased with increasing pressure. The activation enthalpy calculated in the temperature range 650-1000 K also increased with increasing pressure. The effect of pressure was interpreted as being the activation volume in the Arrhenius equation, and the fitted data gave an activation energy and volume of 1.76±0.03 eV and −3.95±0.78 cm³/mole, respectively. The negative activation volume and relatively large activation energy observed in this study suggests that the hopping of large polarons is the dominant mechanism for the electrical conductivity over the pressure and temperature range investigated.