Joseph Poveromo

Abstract:

Over the past several hundred years, ironmaking has evolved from blast furnace iron production using mainly natural lump and initially charcoal and then coke to the present day where the blast furnace (BF) is still the dominant ironmaking process but based on using a high percentage of agglomerates (sinter and/or pellets) and coke supplemented by injected reductants (pulverized coal, natural gas, fuel oil, coke oven gas, plastics). The emerging ironmaking process is shaft furnace direct reduction (DR) based on mainly pellet use with natural gas as the reductant. The technological developments for agglomerates, coke and injectants will be reviewed. In the quest for development of sustainable ironmaking, the development of alternative iron bearing materials (ore/coal composites, ore fines, etc) and alternative reductants and injectants (H2, biomass, etc) will be previewed.