  In astrophysical environments, the long-lived (\T_1/2 = 37.6 Gy) ground state
of 176-Lu can communicate with a short-lived (T_1/2 = 3.664 h) isomeric level
through thermal excitations. Thus, the lifetime of 176-Lu in an astrophysical
environment can be quite different than in the laboratory. We examine the
possibility that the rate of equilibration can be enhanced via K-mixing of two
levels near E_x = 725 keV and estimate the relevant gamma-decay rates. We use
this result to illustrate the effect of K-mixing on the effective stellar
half-life. We also present a network calculation that includes the
equilibrating transitions allowed by K-mixing. Even a small amount of K-mixing
will ensure that 176-Lu reaches at least a quasi-equilibrium during an
s-process triggered by the 22-Ne neutron source.
