Phase relations of the MgO–SiO2–CrOx system at 1600°C in air and reducing atmospheres

Abstract

The equilibrium phase relations of the MgO–SiO2–CrOx system were investigated at 1600°C in air and at pO2 of 10–10 to 10–11 atm using a high-temperature isothermal equilibration technique followed by rapid quenching and direct phase composition analyses with electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Two-phase equilibria (liquid–cristobalite, liquid–spinel, liquid–corundum, and liquid–olivine) and three-phase equilibria (liquid–cristobalite–spinel, liquid–olivine–spinel, liquid–spinel–corundum, and cristobalite–spinel–corundum) were observed. The 1600°C isothermal sections at various oxygen partial pressures were constructed for the MgO–SiO2–CrOx system based on the experimentally determined liquid and solid compositions. Data from the literature and the predictions by FactSage and MTDATA software were compared with the present experimental results.