Characterizing Direct Reduction of Iron and Resultant Mechanical Properties

<p dir="ltr">With global pressures to decarbonize heavy industries, the steelmaking industry has turned towards alternative ironmaking routes to reduce carbon emissions. Direct reduced iron (DRI) production is envisioned to play a key role in this transition, reducing emissions significantly with natural gas or even further with pure hydrogen reduction. However, issues persist with commercialization of DRI product due to its poor mechanical properties post-reduction, causing breakage and fines generation during shipping and handling. Several factors were investigated to attempt to improve pellet strength post reduction, including reduction atmosphere and temperature, pellet chemistry, and oxide pellet firing temperatures before reduction which have varying effects on resultant pellet properties. Additionally, a new proposed method of producing DRI with hydrogen has been explored in collaboration with the NETL, with the aim to reduce energy consumption when compared to existing gas-based shaft-furnace technologies. By conducting thermodynamic calculations and laboratory scale kinetic experiments on the reduction of small particles, it has been shown that from these two perspectives this pathway is feasible. Additional experiments were also conducted on the briquetting of these small particles for shipping and feeding into existing EAF furnaces, with favorable results.</p>