A novel strategy for investigating the kinetics of hydrogen reduction of hematite concentrate particles

To achieve carbon neutrality, industries are facing increasingly stringent CO 2 emission control measures. As a major emitter of CO 2 , the ironmaking industry urgently requires alternative clean reductants to replace the traditional coke reduction process. As a clean reductant, hydrogen could significantly contribute to environmental protection and carbon neutrality if it replaces coke in the ironmaking industry. This study proposed a novel method to obtain the kinetic parameters of hematite reduction by hydrogen, based on high-temperature tube furnace experiments. By using two-phase gas–particle coupled model, numerical simulations were employed to improve the accuracy of residence time estimation for particles in the experimental tubular reactor. The proposed approach reduced the relative error from 23.8 % to less than 10 %, thereby enhancing the reliability of the experimental data. Based on the refined method, the corrected activation energy for the Fe 2 O 3 –H 2 reaction was calculated to be E = 153 kJ/mol, with the pre-exponential factor of 7.15 × 10 5 .These findings offer valuable insights for updating kinetic databases related to hydrogen-based hematite reduction and for establishing accurate process parameters. Furthermore, the integrated approach combining numerical simulation with experimental validation provides a robust framework for future high-temperature kinetic investigations. • A new methodology was proposed for kinetic analysis of hematite hydrogen reduction. • Gas-particle interactions strongly affect particle residence time and reaction rates. • Fe 2 O 3 –H 2 reaction kinetics were calculated to be E = 153 kJ mol −1 and A = 7.15 × 10 5 . • This method provides a scalable framework for hydrogen-based ironmaking kinetics.