Viscosity of liquid anorthite

The viscosity of liquid anorthite has been determined over the temperature ranges between 1450 to 1620 C and 820 to 950 C. The high-temperature data agree well with previous experimental data and with predictions of the Bottinga and Weill model. The overall log (viscosity) versus 1/T relation exhibits pronounced and rather continuous curvature. The viscosity of anorthite is higher at any given temperature and more strongly temperature-dependent than that of the anorthite-rich lunar compositions 14259, 14310, and 15418. The room-temperature density of glassy anorthite (2.64 gm/cu cm) and the thermal expansion coefficients of glassy and liquid anorthite have also been determined. The volume expansion coefficient for the glass is about 0.000018 per deg C, and that for the liquid is about 0.000048 per deg C. These values are used to relate the high-temperature flow data to the predictions of free-volume theories.