DURING SOLID-PHASE CARBOTHERMAL REDUCTION OF A COMPLEX OXIDE WITH LOW IRON CONTENT
The phase composition change as a result of the solid-phase carbothermal reduction of metal from a bulk complex oxide with a low iron content - dunite was explained. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory resistance furnace (Tamman’s furnace) to study solid-phase carbothermal reduction of iron from dunite at temperature 1300 °C and for 1 hour holding time. A comparison of the results of the micro-X-ray and X-ray phase analysis of the initial dunite samples with samples after the solid-phase carbothermal reduction was performed. The phases in the initial samples of dunite were: Mg<sub>3</sub>Si<sub>2</sub>O<sub>9</sub>, Fe<sub>0,16</sub>Mg<sub>1,86</sub>SiO<sub>4</sub>, Fe<sub>0,339</sub>Mg<sub>2,544</sub>Al<sub>0,201</sub>Si<sub>1,904</sub>O<sub>9</sub>H<sub>4</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>MgO<sub>4</sub> and in the phases after the solid-phase carbothermal reduction of the metal: Mg<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>4</sub>, Mg<sub>14</sub>(SiO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>5</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, Fe<sub>0,16</sub>Mg<sub>1,86</sub>SiO<sub>4</sub> and Fe<sub>2,16</sub>Mg<sub>0,31</sub>Si<sub>0,53</sub>O<sub>4</sub>. Separately, the experiments were conducted to study oxidizing firing of pieces of dunite in a laboratory weighing muffle at temperature 1000 °C. The curves of the mass change during oxidative roasting were shown. An estimation of the results of the work was given and the prospects for further investigation of the processes of carbothermal solid-phase reduction of metals from complex oxides were outlined.