Synthesis of eco-friendly Fe-Sialon composite from gold ore tailings

Eco-friendly Fe-Sialon composite were synthesized by using the gold ore tailings that containing abundant Si and Al elements as the major raw material with minor additives through the carbothermal reduction nitridation method. This study realized the conversion of eco-materials from solid waste, gold ore tailings. The influences of sintering temperature, additive carbon contents and the x value during carbothermal reduction nitridation process on the phase composition and microstructure of as-fabricated Fe-Sialon composite were explored. The XRD results indicated that when sintering temperature is 1500°C, additive carbon contents is 1.2 times to academic additive, and the x value is 0.2, O´-Sialon/SiC/Fe₃Si composites was successfully synthesized. The relative content of each phase in the products is I(O´-Sialon): I(SiC): I(Fe₃Si)=86:7:7. The SEM images showed the grains with fibre and floccule shape.