As a result of climate change and resource conservation concerns, the iron and steel industry has taken on the challenge to improve energy efficiency, cut carbon emissions, and increase circularity. The iron and steel industry is looking to reduce fossil fuel consumption, but also for more sustainable raw material for production. Anthracite provides a clean, sustainable alternative for many industrial applications. Particularly, it's used for heating and process applications including sintering. CCA, PCI and other processes. It can also be used in place of traditional coke for EAFs. But conventional coal sources can be expensive and metallurgical supplies are scarce.
During the Industrial Revolution anthracite was widely used for industrial production around the globe. But as bituminous coal reserves were discovered, anthracite's market share began to decline. By the 20th Century, anthracite produced less that two million tonnes per year. But now, Pennsylvania anthracite is experiencing a renaissance.
Anthracite coal is the oldest type of coal and has been subjected for 350 million years to heat and pressure. It's an environmentally friendly fuel approved by DEFRA that emits very little carbon monoxide or greenhouse gases. Unlike bituminous coal, anthracite doesn't have sulphur content, which is a contributor to acid rain and other environmental disasters.
The iron and steel sector is one of the most energy and emission-intensive industries in the world, and it is responsible for over 1.83 metric tons of CO2 per ton of crude steel produced through the blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) routes [1, 2]. It is therefore essential to find substitutes to conventional fossil fuels, especially as these are becoming scarce and more expensive. Biomass, a renewable energy source, is an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative fuel to petroleum and natural gases, which are primary fuels for the production of iron and steel. It is an important renewable energy source and can be used to produce a variety of products for the steel industry, such as sintering, calcination, pelletizing, and iron alloy furnaces.
In a study published recently, the authors compared two biomass-based reductants -- grape seed and char pumpkin seed -- to hard coke, anthracite coal, and a commercially available GreenEAF material for EAF Smelting. Using the GreenEAF System, the authors found grape seed and pumpkin seeds chars to be comparable in reactivity with coal. These chars, they suggested, could replace traditional reductants in EAF melting and reduce the anthropogenic GHG and CO2 emissions.
The authors of the study above recommend further research to incorporate these secondary carbon carriers into different metallurgical process in order to achieve new and optimized results. The focus of research should be on replacing conventional coal by biochars during EAF smelting as well as in other smelting processes, including SR and CCA. They do note, however, that the success of such studies is largely dependent upon access to domestic biomass and national policies. It is vital to ensure a long-term source of these materials so they can be used for a range of steel applications. This will also contribute towards a more sustainable and low-carbon steel industry.
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