Transforming steelmaking into an environmentally sustainable industry: development of breakthrough extraction and refining technologies

该提案描述了开发从矿石中提取铁、最终钢产品精炼和炉渣副产品增值的突破性技术的计划。每年需求16亿吨的原钢是通过高炉碳热还原生产的，排放了数百万吨CO2（约占炼钢产生的人为GHG排放总量的4-7%）。对环境的关注促使全世界的工业界寻求环保技术，为此，钢铁工业正在探索使用可能无碳的电化学技术的可行性。 该项目旨在将炼钢转变为环保和可持续的行业。该工作计划涉及三个并行的部分，重点是：（I）开发和推进高温电解提铁，（II）开发一种创新的电解精炼工艺生产高纯度钢，以及（III）开发一种新的钢渣稳定化和惰性化工艺。初步结果已经确立了这些过程的原理证明。为了实现该项目的目标，将采用多学科方法，将材料科学与工程，熔盐电化学和热力学，湿法冶金，材料表征以及工艺工程和优化交叉起来。 该项目利用了Tenova Goodfellow的专业知识、设施和资金，Tenova Goodfellow是一家以知识为基础的开拓性技术提供公司，与多伦多大学的Azimi集团建立了为期4年的合作伙伴关系，为广泛的行业提供尖端技术，特别是炼钢。该项目在学术卓越，工业竞争优势和高素质人才方面对加拿大非常有益，因为它为基于知识的经济和环境影响以及炼钢行业的技术优势提供了机会。

This proposal describes the plan for the development of breakthrough technologies for the extraction of iron from ore, refinement of the final steel product, and valorization of the slag byproduct. Primary steel, with the annual demand of 1.6 billion tons, is produced by carbothermic reduction in blast furnace, emitting million tons of CO2 (about 4-7% of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions emanate from steelmaking). Environmental concerns led industries worldwide to search for environmentally sound technologies, and to this end, the steel industry is exploring the feasibility of using electrochemical technologies that can potentially be carbon free. This project aims to transform steelmaking into an environmentally friendly and sustainable industry. The work plan involves three concurrent Segments focusing on: (I) Developing and advancing high temperature electrolysis for iron extraction, (II) Developing an innovative electrorefining process for producing high purity steel, and (III) Developing a novel process for the valorization and inertization of steel slag. Preliminary results have established proof-of-principle for these processes. To achieve the goals of the project, a multidisciplinary approach that places at the intersection of materials science and engineering, molten salt electrochemistry and thermodynamics, hydrometallurgy, materials characterization, and process engineering and optimization will be followed. This project leverages expertise, facilities, and funds from Tenova Goodfellow, a knowledge based, pioneering technology-providing company offering cutting edge know-how to a wide range of industries, in particular steelmaking, in a 4-year partnership with the Azimi group at the University of Toronto. This project is highly beneficial for Canada in terms of academic excellence, industrial competitive advantage, and highly qualified personnel, as it creates the opportunity for knowledge based economic and environmental impact as well as enhanced technical edge in the steelmaking industry.