Metastable eutectic, gas to solid, condensation in the FeO–Fe2O3–SiO2 system

Abstract

Non-equilibrium gas to solid condensation produced three distinct groupings of ferrosilica solids with compositions ∽15, 30 and 87.5 wt.% FeO (or, ∽17, 33 and 97 wt.% Fe₂O₃). These solid compositions define metastable eutectic points in the FeO/Fe₂O₃–SiO₂ binary system. The position of a silica-rich metastable eutectic is sensitive to the ratio FeO:Fe₂O₃ during gas-to-solid quenching. The Fe-rich metastable eutectic indicates a two-liquid field in this revised pseudo-binary equilibrium phase diagram.