Hello,
I'd like to study the sintering behaviour of a mixture of chromite and silica sand (mostly quartz) in rhyolite-MELTS v1.0.2 (since I am not considering water or any volatile phases). These sands are used as filler sands for steel ladle nozzles and their degree of sintering is key for a good performance (free open ratio).
I am able to find the Liquidus temperature at atmospheric pressure and run the simulations (from 800 C to past Liquidus to assess 100 wt% liquid phase) if I input the silica sands alone (which contain +98 % SiO2, some Al2O3 and trace amounts of Na and K feldspars). My problem arises when I input any amount of chromite in the composition (40-50% Cr2O3, 25-30% Fe2O3, 6-10% MgO and 10-15% Al2O3).
I am using no constraints (both fO2 and in the Options tab).
If I run the system with a say 75:25 ratio of chromite:silica sand MELTS crashes with the error
The problem persists with different ratios of chromite:silica. Is there something than can be done? I understand this is not a natural rock composition but according to the literature the sintering of these sand mixtures proceed via liquid phase generation (induced by the alkali feldspars) with SiO2 content increase with temperature. The spinel phase should not see any significant mass transfer to the liquid phase (which I'm assuming is the problem here).
Thank you very much!
I'd like to study the sintering behaviour of a mixture of chromite and silica sand (mostly quartz) in rhyolite-MELTS v1.0.2 (since I am not considering water or any volatile phases). These sands are used as filler sands for steel ladle nozzles and their degree of sintering is key for a good performance (free open ratio).
I am able to find the Liquidus temperature at atmospheric pressure and run the simulations (from 800 C to past Liquidus to assess 100 wt% liquid phase) if I input the silica sands alone (which contain +98 % SiO2, some Al2O3 and trace amounts of Na and K feldspars). My problem arises when I input any amount of chromite in the composition (40-50% Cr2O3, 25-30% Fe2O3, 6-10% MgO and 10-15% Al2O3).
I am using no constraints (both fO2 and in the Options tab).
If I run the system with a say 75:25 ratio of chromite:silica sand MELTS crashes with the error
QuoteCAUTION: Liquid component Mg2SiO4 has negative molar fraction.
Aborted (core dumped)
The problem persists with different ratios of chromite:silica. Is there something than can be done? I understand this is not a natural rock composition but according to the literature the sintering of these sand mixtures proceed via liquid phase generation (induced by the alkali feldspars) with SiO2 content increase with temperature. The spinel phase should not see any significant mass transfer to the liquid phase (which I'm assuming is the problem here).
Thank you very much!