LIQUID SOLID EQUILIBRIA IN THE SYSTEM FEO-NIO-FE2O3-SIO2

Liquidus and solidus phase relations have been determined for the system NiO-iron oxide-SiO2 in air and in CO2. In both cases the system is simple in that it contains only three primary crystalline phases: spinel (Fe3O4-NiFe2O3 solid solution), oxide ("FeO"-NiO solid solution and SiO2, either tridymite or cristobalite. There is only one liquidus invariant point at which the above crystalline phases coexist with liquid (and the gas phase). In air, the invariant point (a eutectic) is at 1524-degrees-C, and a temperature maximum is present along the spinel-silica liquidus boundary curve at 1540-degrees-C. In CO2, the silica + spinel + oxide + liquid invariant temperature is considerably lower: 1433-degrees-C. Combination of these data with those obtained previously for the same system under strongly reducing conditions (CO2-CO gas mixtures of ratios only slightly above those of equilibrium coexistence of the oxide phases with Fe-Ni alloy) makes it possible to draw the main features of phase relations in the quaternary system FeO-NiO-Fe2O3-SiO2. This system also is relatively simple, in that only five crystalline phases are present in equilibrium with liquids, viz, silica (cristobalite or tridymite), olivine (Fe2SiO4-Ni2SiO4 solid solution), spinel (Fe3O4-NiFe2O4 solid solution), hematite (Fe2O3), and oxide ("FeO"-NiO solid solution). There is only one quaternary liquidus invariant point in the system, characterized by the equilibrium coexistence of silica, olivine, spinel, oxide, and liquid, at a temperature of approximately 1410-degrees-C and an oxygen pressure of the gas phase of approximately 10(-5) atm.