Greening the ironmaking industry: Biomass fuel reduces CO2 emissions and enhances iron ore reduction efficiency

The high use of fossil fuels in the ironmaking industry leads to CO2 emissions. This study investigates the potential of using biomass as a fuel and reducing agent for iron ore reduction. The reduction process was conducted non-isothermally up to a set temperature, followed by isothermal treatment for 60 minutes. The thermogravimetric analysis of the pellets revealed that the weight loss and CO and CO2 composition increased with temperature, indicating higher reduction reactivity. The kinetic model developed from solid-state and two-parallel reaction equations, using TGA data, showed that Fe2O3 → Fe3O4 and FeO → Fe were the most influential reactions at temperatures of 800°C and above. Furthermore, laboratory experiments analyzed the effluent gas. The results suggest that biomass is a promising alternative to fossil fuels in the ironmaking industry, reducing CO2 emissions, and enhancing the efficiency of the reduction process. © 2024 Author(s).