Application of hydrogen in production of ferroalloys

Most common ferroalloys are produced mainly by carbothermal reduction of high-grade ores or concentrates, which results in large CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen is a promising alternative to coke and coal, which are reducing agents in the carbothermal process. Hydrogen production is becoming increasingly cheaper, and in the future, it may become available for extensive industrial applications. The advantage of using hydrogen is due to its ability to reduce many different oxides, which are the sources of metals in ferroalloy production, at lower temperatures than using carbon-based reducing agents. Hydrogen is the most promising, and its use is presently possible in the production of ferrotungsten, ferromolybdenum, and ferronickel.