The effects of impurity elements on the reduction of wustite and magnetite to iron in CO/CO2 and H2/H2O gas mixtures

The reduction of dense wustite and magnetite samples in CO/CO₂ and H₂/H₂O gas mixtures has shown that impurity elements in solid solution in the oxides can significantly affect the reaction mechanisms operative during reduction and the conditions for porous iron growth. In general, the presence of P, Mg, Ti, Si, Ca, K, and Na in wustite favors, in order of increasing strength, the formation of the porous iron product morphology. Aluminum, on the other hand, significantly reduces the range of gas conditions over which the porous iron microstructure may be obtained. S. GEVA, formerly Research Assistant, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Queensland. D.H. St. JOHN, formerly Senior Lecturer, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Queensland.