Effect of FeO on the formation of spinel phases and chromium distribution in the CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-Cr2O3 system

Synthetic slag samples of the CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-Cr2O3 system were obtained to clarify the effect of FeO on the formation of spinel phases and Cr distribution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), as well as the thermodynamic software FactSage 6.2, were used for sample characterization. The results show that the addition of FeO can decrease the viscosity of molten slag and the precipitation temperatures of melilite and merwinite. The solidus temperature significantly decreases from 1400 to 1250°C with the increase of FeO content from 0wt% to 6wt%. The addition of FeO could enhance the content of Cr in spinel phases and reduce the content of Cr in soluble minerals, such as merwinite, melilite, and dicalcium silicate. Hence, the addition of FeO is conducive to decreasing Cr leaching.