THE COMBUSTION OF IRON IN HIGH-PRESSURE OXYGEN

The combustion of 0.32-cm-diameter pure iron rods at 6.9 MPa oxygen pressure was investigated. During the upward burning of the sample rods, it was found that there was excess oxygen above the stoichiometric requirement for the formation of the product oxide in the formed molten ball. The excess oxygen in the formed molten ball suggests that the rate limiting step for iron combustion, at 6.9 MPa, is the kinetic reaction at a molten iron core in the ball, and not oxygen intake into the molten ball as previously thought. Glassman's hypothesis as to the phase in which a metal bums was investigated and found to be inappropriate for iron for the pressure considered.