Abstract
FeO compact which coexists with liquid FeO-SiO2 slag was reduced with H2 at 1500K, the texture of the sample was observed by a laser-microscope and an optical microscope and the influence of the pore blockade by liquid slag on reducibility was investigated. As pores are closed by liquid slag, the reduction rate is decreased by the prevention of the diffusion of the reducing gas due to the dense Fe layer which is formed by reducing the liquid slag in the pore and near FeO/liquid slag interface. The variation of porosity with the pore blockade by liquid slag affects the reducibility and this effect is largely dependent on the pore structure. Liquid slag tend to close a smaller pore preferentially. Then the reduciblity becomes a little worse, but the reducibility is maintained to some extent because of the existence of large pores. The reducibility rapidly deteriorates when large pores are closed with the increase of liquid slag.
