The meltdown behaviour of pellets reduced under different conditions in a reduction under load furnace has been examined. The pellet type, temperature increase rate, the gas flow and the applied load over the crucible were varied between trials. Samples from 12 trials interrupted just before meltdown were studied under an optical microscope and it was found that all iron oxides in the samples were reduced to iron. After the etching of the samples the carbon content was estimated. The carbon content differs within the samples as well as between the samples. A correlation exists between the average carbon content in a sample and the meltdown temperature. Some differences in the iron structure and the carbon content between the crucible wall and the crucible centre are discussed. Because no big difference in carbon content was found between the crucible wall and the crucible centre most of the carbon in the samples probably dissolves in the metal by a gas reaction where CO gas forms carbon and CO2.
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