| 2025 №03 (04) | 2025 №03 (06) |
"Suchasna Elektrometallurgiya" (Electrometallurgy Today), 2025, #3, 59-63 pages
Industrial technologies for out-of-blast furnace reduction of iron from ores and prospects of using hydrogen for the reduction processes
V.O. Shapovalov1, V.G. Mogylatenko1,2, D.M. Zhyrov1, V.R. Burnashev1
1E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine 11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: shapovalov@paton.kiev.ua2National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute» 37 Prospect Beresteiskyi, 03056, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: vmogilatenko@gmail.com
Abstract
Application of a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen allows achieving a significant lowering of carbon dioxide gas emissions in metallurgy. Industrial technologies of out-of-blast furnace reduction of iron from ore raw materials are considered. Reactions in the reduction processes are analyzed. It is shown that at temperatures above 800 °C hydrogen is a more effective reducing agent than carbon monoxide. Ways to improve the energy efficiency of existing technologies have been demonstrated. It is shown that today the main technology of iron reduction from ore is reduction in shaft furnaces using a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The generalized scheme of production of iron by direct reduction is given. It is shown that in the production of direct reduction iron, it is possible to halve carbon dioxide emissions compared to the use of natural gas due to application of hydrogen, provided that power is produced from renewable sources or in nuclear power plants. It is concluded that a promising way to eliminate carbon emissions during the reduction of iron from ore or pellets is the use of plasma technologies. 14 Ref, 2 Tabl., 1 Fig.
Keywords: direct reduction of iron, hydrogen, shaft furnace, carbon dioxide emissions
Received: 26.05.2025
Received in revised form: 25.06.2025
Accepted: 12.07.2025
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