| Abstract: | Magnetite superconcentrate compacts were reduced to wustite and iron at various temperatures (1173-1423 K) and the morphological changes occurring at various stages of reduction were observed under the scanning electron microscope. It has been demonstrated that considerable pitting and fragmentation occur during solid state reduction of Fe3O4 to FeO by solid iron. During the reduction of FeO the iron nuclei formed have a tetrahedral shape. At low reduction temperatures (1173 K) the large number of iron nuclei formed on wustite sinter together forming a dense iron layer. At high temperatures sustained growth of nuclei in the vertical direction leads to a sinuous porosity. Genesis of porosity creation has also been explained in terms of formation of holes, slits, cracks and fragmentation in magnetite and wustite and growth and sintering of iron nuclei. |
