Effect of carbon concentration and carbon bonding type on the melting characteristics of hydrogen-reduced iron ore pellets

Abstract

Decarbonization of the steel industry is one of the pathways towards a fossil-fuel-free environment. The steel industry is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions are directly linked to the use of a fossil-fuel-based reductant. Replacing the fossil-based reductant with green H2 enables the transition towards a fossil-free steel industry. The carbon-free iron produced will cause the refining and steelmaking operations to have a starting point far from today's operations. In addition to carbon being an alloying element in steel production, carbon addition controls the melting characteristics of the reduced iron.In the present study, the effect of carbon content and form (cementite/graphite) in hydrogen-reduced iron ore pellets on their melting characteristics was examined by means of a differential thermal analyser and optical dilatometer.Carburized samples with a carbon content 2 wt%, the molten fraction is higher in the case of carburized samples, which is indicated by the amount of absorbed melting heat.

Keywords

• Carburization
• Melting behaviour of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI)
• Differential thermal analysis
• Optical dilatometer