The partial degradation of iron ore sinter that occurs during reduction in the shaft section of the ironmaking blast furnace detrimentally affects the permeability of the ferrous burden, leading to increased coke consumption, lower productivity and ultimately higher greenhouse gas emissions. The propensity of sinter to breakdown during reduction is measured by the reduction degradation index (RDI). Previous studies have observed a correlation between the presence of so called ‘secondary’ skeletal hematite (SSH) and SFCA containing high levels of Al2O3 located near micropores, high Al2O3 levels in sinter blends associated with use of Australian iron ores and the presence of fine pores due to high levels of -1.0 mm limestone and -0.5 mm coke. Secondary skeletal hematite is widely considered to have formed by oxidation of high temperature skeletal ‘multi-component’ (high Al, Si, Ca) magnetite during cooling, hence the use of the ‘secondary’ preface term. During a recent study identifying and characterising the properties of sinter structure, it was discovered that skeletal hematite, in association with glass, forms immediately adjacent to remnant quartz-rich nuclei in the absence of SFCA/SFCA III. Experiments were carried out by embedding coarse quartz particles in a -1 mm matrix blend A of SFCA composition and firing the samples using the CSIRO developed laboratory scale sintering method to replicate this condition. Preliminary SEM/EDS analysis, quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis and optical microscopic observation was carried out on samples fired under typical low (1290°C) and high (1330°C) temperature and pO2 5 × 10-3 atm sintering conditions. The results demonstrate the formation of skeletal hematite in association with localised high-silica (low basicity) melts under both conditions. Comparable morphology and mineral associations were observed in plant and pot grate sinter.