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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是为钢铁工业实现环境可持续、碳排放减少的炼钢工艺。该行业占全球碳排放量的7%~9%。拟议的创新将不会产生固体废物排放和温室气体排放。此外，拟议中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。一旦这一创新被证明是成功的和可扩展的，它就可以商业化并大规模应用于美国钢铁工业，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。SBIR一期项目将展示使用超纯铁矿石粉（SPIOP）和氢气生产低碳排放钢的可行性。钢铁在我们的生活中无处不在，从桥梁和摩天大楼到汽车和消费品。然而，生产钢铁往往伴随着长流程、高成本、浪费和污染。提出的创新工艺是在高温氢还原电炉中利用氢气（H2）直接还原SPIOP生产钢。原铁矿石首先被磨成一个精细的目标尺寸范围（~0-0.076mm），从脉石/不纯颗粒（如石英和岩石）中分离出铁矿石颗粒。然后使用该公司的高强度铁分离技术纯化解离的铁矿石颗粒。经提纯的铁精矿纯度为99.0%。氢还原工艺和直接还原铁熔炼工艺在同一炉内进行，产生一步制粗钢工艺。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.