Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018
Feldspar of composition Ca0.2Pb0.8Al2Si2O8 (PbF80An20) was synthesized from melt and subsequently isothermally annealed at T = 960°C for 4 days. In situ HT X-ray powder spectra of PbF80An20 feldspar, triclinic I1̄ at room temperature, were collected in the temperature range 20–800°C, and a displacive continuous ferroelastic transition to a I2/c monoclinic phase was observed. An analysis of the symmetry-required components of the spontaneous strain tensor reveals the second order character (β = 0.46 ± 0.02) of the transition with TC = 680 ± 15°C. A linear coupling was observed between the e 4 and e 6 components of the spontaneous strain. The transition is analogous to those observed, with increasing temperature, along the join An–SrF and in disordered Na-rich alkali feldspars. A comparison with Ca0.2Sr0.8Al2Si2O8 feldspar (TC = 680°C, McGuinn and Redfern, 1997) shows that PbF80An20 has a higher spontaneous strain (εs = 0.028 in PbF80An20vs 0.020 in Ca0.2Sr0.8Al2Si2O8) and a higher e 4 component, possibly related to the higher distortion of the non-tetrahedral polyhedron in lead feldspar.