Experimental study and thermodynamic modeling of the MgO–NiO–SiO2 system

Abstract

The MgO–NiO–SiO2 system has been studied by a combination of thermodynamic modeling and experimental measurements of phase equilibria. A complete literature review, critical evaluation and thermodynamic modeling of phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties of all oxide phases in the MgO–NiO–SiO2 system at 1atm total pressure are presented. To resolve the contradictions in the literature data, a new experimental investigation has been carried out over the temperature range from (1400 to 1650)°C using an equilibration and quenching technique followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). Tie-lines between olivine and monoxide, olivine and proto-pyroxene, liquid and olivine and liquid and cristobalite have been measured. The whole set of experimental data, including the new experimental results and previously published data, has been taken into consideration in thermodynamic modeling of oxide phases in the MgO–NiO–SiO2 system. The Modified Quasichemical Model has been used for the liquid phase. A simple random mixing model with a polynomial expansion of the excess Gibbs energy has been used for the monoxide solid solution. The models for olivine and proto-pyroxene were developed within the framework of the Compound Energy Formalism. The optimized model parameters reproduce all available thermodynamic and phase diagram data within experimental error limits.