Oxygen self-diffusion coefficients have been determined for synthetic
and natural rutile single crystals under hydrothermal conditions at 1
00 M Pa total pressure and in the temperature range 873-1 373 K. The d
iffusion coefficients are lower than the results from dry gas exchange
studies would predict. Between 973 and 1 373 K the results can be cha
racterized by two linear Arrhenius relationships. D = 1.14 x 10(-11) e
xp (-168.8 k J mol-1 /RT) m-2 s-1 for the natural rutile, and D = 2.41
x 10(-12) exp (-172.5 kJ mol-1 /RT) M2S-1 for the synthetic crystal.
The results have been interpreted in terms of a defect model involving
the dissolution of water in rutile as substitutional hydroxyl defects
on oxygen lattice sites, with a solution enthalpy in the range 81-106
kJ mol-1.