PRELIMINARY STUDY ON PORTIONS OF SYSTEMS Na2O-CaO-AI2O3-Fe2O3 AND Na2O-CaO-Fe2O3-SiO2*

Portions of the quaternary system Na₂O-CaO-Al₂O₃-Fe₂O₃ have been studied by the exploration of (1) the plane CaO-4CaO.Al₂O₃°Fe₂O₃-(Na₂O + 3Al₂O₃) and (2) planes above the base system CaO.5CaO.3Al₂O3–2CaO.Fe₂O₃ which contain successively increasing amounts of Na₂O up to 6%. A portion of the quaternary system Na₂O-CaO-Fe₂O₃-SiO₂ has been studied by the exploration of a plane containing 5% of Na₂O above the base system CaO-2CaO.SiO₂-CaO.Fe₂O₃. In the pseudosystem CaO-4CaO.Al₂O₃.Fe₂O₃-(Na₂O + 3A1₂O₃) the compound Na₂O.-8CaO.3A1₂O₈ was found to exist as a primary phase, and the area in which the plane cuts the Na₂O.8CaO.3A1₂O₃ primary-phase volume was established. Three points on uni-variant curves were located. The iron phase (4CaO.A1₂O₃.Fe₂O₃ solid solution) was observed to exist in a solid-solution series. In the system Na₂O-CaO-5CaO.3Al₂O_3--2CaO.Fe₂O₃ it was found that the compound Na₂O.8CaO.3Al₂O3 appears at an Na₂O concentration of 4.2%. As soda, however, is taken into solid solution by other phases, it was not feasible at this time to determine the invariant point for Na₂O.8CaO.3A1₂O₃, 3CaO.Al₂O₃, 5CaO.3A1₂O₃, and 4CaO.Al₂O₃.-Fe₂O_a solid solution. In the system Na₂O-CaO-2CaO.SiO₂-CaO.Fe₂O₃ no ternary compounds were observed up to the 5% limit of Na₂O employed. A soda-containing phase occurred in solid solution with α-2CaO.SiO₂, which may precipitate on cooling, forming inclusions in the ß-2CaO.SiO₂, or enter into reaction with the glassy phase.