SBIR Phase I: Process for Producing Steel using Super-Pure Iron Ore Powder (SPIOP) and Hydrogen

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是为钢铁行业实现环境可持续、减少碳排放的炼钢工艺。该行业的碳排放量占全球的7%~9%。拟议的创新将不会产生固体废物排放，也不会产生温室气体排放。此外，拟议的创新将通过减少宝贵矿产资源的使用和促进可再生能源的使用，为美国和社会做出贡献。一旦这项创新被证明是成功的和可扩展的，它可以商业化并大规模应用于美国钢铁行业，有可能减少对钢铁进口的依赖，为美国制造业提供更大的弹性，并减少碳足迹。这个SBIR第一阶段项目将展示使用超纯铁矿粉(SPIOP)和氢气生产低碳排放钢铁的可行性。钢铁在我们的生活中无处不在，从桥梁到摩天大楼，从汽车到消费品。然而，生产钢铁往往伴随着长流程、高成本、浪费和污染。拟议的创新工艺使用氢气(H2)在高温氢气还原电炉中直接还原SPIOP来炼钢。原铁矿首先被粉碎到一个精细的目标粒度范围(~0-0.076 mm)，以将铁矿石颗粒从脉石/不纯颗粒(如石英和岩石)中分离出来。然后使用该公司的高强度铁分离技术对分离出的铁矿石颗粒进行提纯。提纯后的铁精矿纯度为99.0%。氢气还原过程和直接还原炼铁过程在同一炉中进行，生产一步粗钢制造过程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable an environmentally sustainable, reduced-carbon emissions steelmaking process for the iron and steel industry. This industry is responsible for 7%~9% of global carbon emissions. The proposed innovation will produce no solid waste discharge and no greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the proposed innovation will contribute to the United States and society by reducing the use of precious mineral resources and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. Once this innovation is proved to be successful and scalable, it can be commercialized and massively applied to the American iron and steelmaking industry, with the potential to reduce dependency on steel imports, provide greater resilience to the US manufacturing sector, and reduce the carbon footprint.This SBIR Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of producing reduced-carbon emissions steel using Super-Pure Iron Ore Powder (SPIOP) and hydrogen. Steel is ubiquitous in our lives, from bridges and skyscrapers to cars and consumer goods. Yet, producing steel often comes with a long flow sheet, high cost, waste, and pollution. The proposed innovative process uses hydrogen (H2) to directly reduce SPIOP in a high-temperature hydrogen reduction electric furnace to produce steel. The raw iron ore is first ground to a fine target size range (~0-0.076mm) to dissociate iron ore particles from gangue/impure particles such as quartz and rocks. The dissociated iron ore particles are then purified using the company’s high-intensity iron separation technologies. The purified iron ore concentrate is 99.0% purity. The hydrogen reduction process and direct reduced iron melting process occur in the same furnace, producing a one-step crude steel manufacturing process.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.