ID | Population's key phases/characteristics | Preferred interpretation | Source/material ID |
---|---|---|---|
w | < 15% Fe/FeOx: Ca-silicate with Ca–Al-silicate or P-rich Ca(-Mg–Al)-silicate | Weathered converter slag | 1 |
x | As above, with > 5% sulphate | Weathered converter slag; additional covering of sulphate phases on surface | 1 |
y | < 15% Fe/FeOx: Ca-silicate ± Ca-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate with sum of both > 40% | Converter-slag particles rich in C2S, C3S and Ca-hydroxide/-carbonate | 1 |
z | As above, with > 5% sulphate | As above, with additional covering of sulphate phases on surface | 1 |
aa | < 15% Fe/FeOx: Ca(-Al)-ferrite with apparent Mg–Ca–Fe-oxide from Mg–Fe-oxide + Ca-ferrite mixed pixels | Converter-slag particles rich in brownmillerite intergrown with Mg-wustite (and the latter’s finely intergrown oxidation products) | 1 |
ab | As above, with > 5% sulphate | As above, with additional covering of sulphate phases on surface | 1 |
ac | < 15% Fe/FeOx: Mg–Fe-oxide with apparent Mg–Ca-Fe-oxide from Mg–Fe-oxide + Ca-ferrite mixed pixels | Converter-slag particles rich in Mg-wustite (and its finely intergrown oxidation products) | 1 |
ad | As above, with > 5% sulphate | As above, with additional covering of sulphate phases on surface | 1 |
an | > 20% total Ca-ferrite + Ca(-Fe)-silicate, < 2% FeOx, with apparent Ca-aluminate pixels (probable aluminous brownmillerite) | Converter-slag particles rich in brownmillerite | 1 |
v | < 15% Fe/FeOx: Ca–Mg–Al-silicate with Ca-silicate | Possible converter slag, rapidly cooled | 2 |
q | Ca-silicate with > 15% Ca–Mg-silicate | Rapidly cooled converter slag—possible slopping material or formed during discharge of slag into cooling pits | 2 |
ao | > 20% total Ca-ferrite + Ca(-Fe)-silicate with > 2% FeOx | Sintered iron-ore material, rich in Ca-ferrites (chiefly SFCA and SFCA-I) and/or C2S | 3 |
aq | < 20% total Ca-ferrite + Ca(-Fe)-silicate, with low apparent Fe-silicate | Probable sintered iron-ore material with 1–20% Ca-ferrites (chiefly SFCA and SFCA-I) and/or C2S | 3 |
ai | FeOx with apparent Fe-silicate (including with minor Na, K, Al below peak threshold), < 1% Ca-ferrite | Probable pelletised iron-ore material with highly silicic secondary silicate formed from reaction of ore gangue and FeOx during firing | 4 |
aj | FeOx with Mg–Fe-oxide (probable Mg-ferrite), < 1% Ca-ferrite | Probable pelletised iron-ore material with Mg-ferrite-rich spinel solid solution phase formed by reaction with Mg-flux during firing | 4 |
ap | < 20% total Ca-ferrite + Ca(-Fe)-silicate, with high apparent Fe-silicate | Probable pelletised iron-ore material with highly silicic secondary silicate and Ca-ferrites or Ca–Fe-silicate: limestone-fluxed pellets only | 4 |
r | Mg–silicate (probable olivine) with Ca-ferrite ± Mg–Ca-silicate | Partially reacted Mg-olivine (forsterite) flux in sintered or pelletised iron-ore material | 5 |
ah | Apparent Ca–Fe-silicate (including mixed FeOx—Ca-silicate pixels) or Mg–silicate with < 5% FeOx and < 1% Ca-ferrite | Rare sintered ore particles | 5 |
al | > 80% FeOx, < 1% Ca-ferrite | Most commonly iron-ore particles with little adhering/intergrown binding matrix from sintering or pelletising process; also potentially oxidised metal/scrap | 5 |
ak | FeOx rich, < 1% Ca-ferrite | Most commonly iron-ore particles, potentially with intergrown/adhering gangue phases | 5 |
am | FeOx dominated, < 1% Ca-ferrite, Zn(-Fe)-oxide > 5% | FeOx dominated particles with significant content of Zn-oxide or Zn-Fe-oxide phase: potentially ore (agglomeration) material or Zn-rich scrap | 6 |
ar | Possible Fe-metal bearing, < 1% Ca-ferrite, > 80% Fe + FeOx | Likely Fe-metal bearing particles/metallic slivers | 7 |
as | Possible Fe-metal bearing, < 1% Ca-ferrite | Likely Fe-metal bearing particles/metallic slivers | 7 |
at | Possible Fe-metal bearing with Ca-ferrite or Ca-silicate | Likely Fe-metal bearing particles/metallic slivers | 7 |
e | Zn-oxide/Zn–Fe-oxide with FeOx/Fe | Particles rich in Zn-oxide/Zn–Fe-oxide: possible Zn-rich scrap | 8 |
f | Zn-oxide/Zn–Fe-oxide | Particles rich in Zn-oxide/Zn–Fe-oxide: possible Zn-rich scrap | 8 |
o | Mg-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate with Mg–Al-spinel | Possible de-sulphurisation process material | 9 |
af | Ca-aluminate rich | Ca-aluminate rich slags from steelmaking processes | 10 |
ag | Ca-aluminate with Ca–Al-silicate with sum of both > 60% | Ca-aluminate rich slags from steelmaking processes | 10 |
n | Dolomite/burnt-dolomite bearing | Particles containing (burnt-)dolomite flux or thermal decomposition products thereof: iron-ore agglomeration and steelmaking processes | 11 |
p | Mg-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate ± sulphate/sulphide | Combination of (at one time) MgO + sulphate is characteristic of partially reacted dolomite flux in iron-ore agglomeration; potentially also refractory material | 12 |
l | > 60% Mg-silicate: probable forsteritic olivine | Most commonly Mg-olivine flux used in iron-ore sintering and pelletising | 13 |
m | > variable threshold % Mg-silicate: probable forsteritic olivine (set here to 60%) | Most commonly Mg-olivine flux used in iron-ore sintering and pelletising | 13 |
k | Mg-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate with Mg-silicate (probable olivine) | Possible tundish gunning-mass material: diagnostic phase combination of Mg-(hydr)oxide + Mg-olivine | 14 |
ae | Al2O3 or Al bearing | Commonly alumina-dominated particles, otherwise alumina-bearing; encountered in iron-ore sinter reference materials but origin unclear | 15 |
s | Ca–Al-silicate rich | Coherent population of particles dominated by Ca–Al-silicate pixels; unclear origin, speculative relationship with weathered converter slag | 16 |
t | Ca-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate rich | Particles rich in Ca-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate lacking C2S or other Ca-silicates, Ca-ferrites and FeOx: potentially lime(stone) flux, particles of converter slag fully covered in a carbonate layer, as well as natural carbonate material | 17 |
u | Ca-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate rich with Ca-ferrite or FeOx | Probable limestone flux residue from iron-ore sintering or pelletising with traces of reaction with FeOx (ore) | 17 |
j | Silica with Ca-silicate ± Ca-(hydr)oxide/-carbonate | Possible cement/building material | 18 |
d | Gypsum/anhydrite dominated | Likely urban dust, building material | 19 |
au | Ti-oxide bearing | Source unknown, possibly ore-related | 20 |
av | Ti(-Al)-silicate bearing | Probable paint chips/splinters | 21 |
g | Silica dominated | Most commonly natural sand (quartz) | 22 |
h | Feldspar dominated | Most commonly natural sand/rock | 22 |
i | Silica–feldspar–clay–mica mixture (any) | Most commonly natural sand/rock | 22 |
c | > 50% chloride/NaCl | Most commonly salt from sea-spray/maritime influence | 23 |
a | Carbon rich with qz–clay–fsp–mica | Probable coal/coke material with silicate ash phases | 24 |
b | Carbon rich | Undifferentiated carbon-rich material: may include graphite flakes, organic carbon-based materials and diverse sources | 25 |
aw | Unassigned grains, < 40% empty spectra | Unassigned grains with relatively low carbon content | 26 |