Phase equilibria in the “SnO”–SiO2–“FeO” system in equilibrium with tin–iron alloy and the potential application for electronic scrap recycling

Abstract

Abstract Experimental studies have been conducted to determine the primary phases and liquidus temperatures in the pseudo-binary system “SnO”–“FeO” and the pseudo-ternary system “SnO”–SiO2–“FeO” in equilibrium with tin–iron alloy between 1148 and 1673 K, using a high-temperature equilibration and quenching technique followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of the phase compositions in the quenched samples. The following primary phase fields were identified: wustite (FeO x ), spinel (Fe( 3 – x )Sn x O4), fayalite (Fe2SiO4), tridymite (SiO2), tin iron silicate (Fe4Si2Sn7O16), and cassiterite (SnO2). With this new information on the chemistry of the “SnO”–SiO2–“FeO” slag this system may potentially be used for the processing and recycling of electronic scrap and the recovery of valuable minor elements.