Title

INVESTIGATION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE IRON ORE REDUCTION BY BIOMASS PYROLYSIS VOLATILES

INVESTIGATION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE IRON ORE REDUCTION BY BIOMASS PYROLYSIS VOLATILES

Authorship

Bagatini, Mauricio Covcevich; Kan, Tao; Evans, Tim J.; Strezov, Vladimir

Bagatini, Mauricio Covcevich

I am this author

Kan, Tao

I am this author

Evans, Tim J.

I am this author

Strezov, Vladimir

I am this author

DOI

10.5151/5463-5463-35089

Downloads

Abstract

Biomass is a renewable resource that can contribute to decreasing the CO2 emissions of the iron and steel industry. Despite biomass being mainly composed of volatile matters, the potential of this constituent as a reducing agent to the iron oxides has not yet been fully explored. This work investigated the effects of the fundamental parameters on the reduction of iron ore by biomass volatiles as a mean to optimize its use in the ironmaking industry. Experiments with biomass and iron ore placed separately were carried out in an infrared furnace up to 1000ºC at different heating rates, biomass to iron ore ratios and iron ore particle sizes. It was observed that biomass volatiles could effectively reduce iron oxide considering at 1000oC, and wustite, metallic iron and cementite were detected by XRD analysis. It was also identified that the reduction degree was considerably affected by the different parameters tested. Two main reduction steps were identified in the iron ore reduction by biomass volatiles. At low temperatures, the reduction occurred mainly by the non-condensable gases (e.g., CO and H2) from biomass pyrolysis and tar cracking reactions, while from 800oC the reduction was advanced by the carbon deposited on the iron ore particles.

Biomass is a renewable resource that can contribute to decreasing the CO2 emissions of the iron and steel industry. Despite biomass being mainly composed of volatile matters, the potential of this constituent as a reducing agent to the iron oxides has not yet been fully explored. This work investigated the effects of the fundamental parameters on the reduction of iron ore by biomass volatiles as a mean to optimize its use in the ironmaking industry. Experiments with biomass and iron ore placed separately were carried out in an infrared furnace up to 1000ºC at different heating rates, biomass to iron ore ratios and iron ore particle sizes. It was observed that biomass volatiles could effectively reduce iron oxide considering at 1000oC, and wustite, metallic iron and cementite were detected by XRD analysis. It was also identified that the reduction degree was considerably affected by the different parameters tested. Two main reduction steps were identified in the iron ore reduction by biomass volatiles. At low temperatures, the reduction occurred mainly by the non-condensable gases (e.g., CO and H2) from biomass pyrolysis and tar cracking reactions, while from 800oC the reduction was advanced by the carbon deposited on the iron ore particles.

Keywords

Biomass, Pyrolysis, Volatiles, Iron Ore Reduction, Ironmaking

Biomass, Pyrolysis, Volatiles, Iron Ore Reduction, Ironmaking