Decarbonization of Steelmaking from the Standpoint of the Electronic Theory of Metal Reduction

Abstract—The necessity of restructuring the existing steelmaking scheme is justified not only under the pressure of environmental decarbonization requirements, but also under the need to bring steelmaking technologies in line with the level of modern science. The scientific basis of new reduction technologies is shown to be the electronic theory of metal oxidation/reduction, which allows one to consider the thermodynamic and kinetic conditions of processes with partial or complete replacement of fossil carbon-containing reducing agents with hydrogen from a unified standpoint. A comparison of two well-known technologies with zero carbon dioxide emission, namely, iron reduction with “green” hydrogen or iron production by electrolysis of ore, shows a multiple advantage of electrolysis in terms of energy consumption and more favorable kinetic conditions for its implementation. It is concluded that, when an industry development strategy is designed, priority should be given to the electrolysis of ore rather than to the production and use of green hydrogen. The use of hydrogen as a reducing agent can be justified for selective iron extraction from complex ores in plants, such as plasma mine furnaces, plasma reactors, and suspended-slurry reduction reactors, where nitriding would also take place to transform soft iron into steel along with reduction.