A percolating path to green iron

About 1.9 gigatons of steel is produced every year, emitting 8% (3.6 gigatons) of global CO<sub>2</sub> in the process. More than 50% of the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions come from a single step of steel production, known as ironmaking. Hydrogen-based direct reduction (HyDR) of iron oxide to iron has emerged as an emission-free ironmaking alternative. However, multiple physical and chemical phenomena ranging from nanometers to meters inside HyDR reactors alter the microstructure and pore networks in iron oxide pellets, in ways that resist gaseous transport of H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O, slow reaction rates, and disrupt continuous reactor operation. Using synchrotron nano X-ray computed tomography and percolation theory, we quantify the evolution of pores in iron oxide pellets and demonstrate how nanoscale pore connectivity influences micro- and macroscale flow properties such as permeability, diffusivity, and tortuosity. Our modeling framework connects disparate scales and offers opportunities to accelerate HyDR.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cell Reports Physical Science
Published
2025-08-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102729
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Iron and Steelmaking Processes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.57

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A percolating path to green iron

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Cell Reports Physical Science
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A percolating path to green iron

Julie Villanova, Leora E. Dresselhaus‐Marais, Guillermo Requena, Ilenia Battiato, Dierk Raabe, Subhechchha Paul, Yan Ma, Brinthan Kanesalingam, Stanley Chidubem Akpu
article en
5 citations

Abstract

About 1.9 gigatons of steel is produced every year, emitting 8% (3.6 gigatons) of global CO<sub>2</sub> in the process. More than 50% of the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions come from a single step of steel production, known as ironmaking. Hydrogen-based direct reduction (HyDR) of iron oxide to iron has emerged as an emission-free ironmaking alternative. However, multiple physical and chemical phenomena ranging from nanometers to meters inside HyDR reactors alter the microstructure and pore networks in iron oxide pellets, in ways that resist gaseous transport of H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O, slow reaction rates, and disrupt continuous reactor operation. Using synchrotron nano X-ray computed tomography and percolation theory, we quantify the evolution of pores in iron oxide pellets and demonstrate how nanoscale pore connectivity influences micro- and macroscale flow properties such as permeability, diffusivity, and tortuosity. Our modeling framework connects disparate scales and offers opportunities to accelerate HyDR.

Cell Reports Physical ScienceVol. 6(8)
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NG), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (US), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (FR), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE), Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien (DE), RWTH Aachen University (DE), Stanford University (US), Delft University of Technology (NL)
U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Office of Science, European Research Council, Basic Energy Sciences
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Iron and Steelmaking Processes
3.57
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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