As iron powder nowadays
attracts research attention as
a carbon-free,
circular energy carrier, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can be
used to better understand the mechanisms of liquid iron oxidation
at elevated temperatures. However, prudence must be practiced in the
selection of a reactive force field. This work investigates the influence
of currently available reactive force fields (ReaxFFs) on a number
of properties of the liquid iron–oxygen (Fe–O) system
derived (or resulting) from MD simulations. Liquid Fe–O systems
are considered over a range of oxidation degrees
Z
O
, which represents the molar ratio of O/(O + Fe), with
0 <
Z
O
< 0.6 and at a constant temperature
of 2000 K, which is representative of the combustion temperature of
micrometric iron particles burning in air. The investigated properties
include the minimum energy path, system structure, (im)miscibility,
transport properties, and the mass and thermal accommodation coefficients.
The properties are compared to experimental values and thermodynamic
calculation results if available. Results show that there are significant
differences in the properties obtained with MD using the various ReaxFF
parameter sets. Based on the available experimental data and equilibrium
calculation results, an improved ReaxFF is required to better capture
the properties of a liquid Fe–O system.