Suspension hydrogen reduction of iron ore concentrate

A new ironmaking technology is under development at the University of Utah. This process produces iron directly from fine iron ore concentrate by a gas-solid suspension reduction, utilizing hydrogen as the main reducing agent for high reactivity and for the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions during ironmaking operation and also pursuing the direct use of concentrate to bypass the problematic pelletization/sintering and cokemaking steps in the steel industry. The technology is aimed at producing iron as a feed to the steelmaking process, eventually replacing the blast furnace. The purpose of this research was to perform the feasibility tests of the proposed process in terms of the material and energy balances and the kinetics of concentrate particle reduction by hydrogen, together with preliminary scale-up tests. The material and energy balance calculations have shown that the process would drastically reduce energy consumption compared with that required by the blast furnace and lower environmental pollution, especially CO2 emission, from the steel industry. The kinetic feasibility tests have also verified that the reduction rate of concentrate particles by hydrogen is sufficiently fast for a suspension reduction process and forms the most important basis for the new technology. Finally, the preliminary scale-up tests have shown that the scale-up of the proposed process is plausible if a proper method of heat supply is applied.