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Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector
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Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 February 2023) | Viewed by 11145

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chuan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Metallurgy, Swerim AB, 97125 Lulea, Sweden
Interests: material and energy efficiency; iron and steelmaking processes; biomass upgrading; CO2 emission reduction; resource efficiency
Prof. Dr. Guangwei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Metallurgy and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: efficient utilization of biomass resources in ironmaking; pulverized coal injection with oxygen-enriched blast; optimization of fuel structure in blast furnace
Prof. Dr. Yaowei Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Interests: recycling and utilization of metallurgical resources; iron ore briquettes; hydrothermal carbonization of municipal waste; new ironmaking technology with low energy consumption and low emission

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The steel industry is one of the most important industrial sectors and has a great impact on the global growth and economy. Meanwhile, steel production is also one of the largest energy- and coal-consuming sectors, accounting for more than 5% of the total world energy consumption and contributing 6% of global CO2 emissions. The use of biomass (forestry resources, agricultural resources, domestic sewage, municipal organic solid waste, livestock manure, etc.) in iron- and steelmaking has been acknowledged as one possible solution to decrease fossil-based CO2 emissions. Biofuels can be used in various steelmaking processes, such as coking, sintering, iron ore pellet-making, blast furnace, basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), etc. Compared to traditional fossil fuels, biomass is a renewable and carbon-neutral energy carrier with lower emissions of SOx and NOx.

With the proper upgrading, biomass can be used in iron- and steelmaking to lower fossil CO2 emissions. Considering the increasing biomass availability potential in the coming decades, the utilization of biofuels could be an effective measure to mitigate CO2 emissions in iron- and steelmaking, enhancing the circular economy among different sectors and maximizing the value chain of biomass resources, thus contributing to building a sustainable society. This Special Issue will focus on the research on biomass upgrading technologies and the application of biomass in ironmaking systems. In addition, the application of biomass for alternative iron- and steelmaking processes and the whole life cycle analysis (LCA) are also included within the scope.

This Special Issue welcomes articles related to the application of biofuels in iron- and steelmaking systems, and the welcome formats include but are not limited to original research articles, brief research reports, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, etc.

Research themes include but are not limited to:

  • Technology of clean and efficient biomass upgrading technology;
  • Quantum chemistry research on the mechanism of biomass upgrading;
  • Technology of biomass utilization in blast furnace ironmaking processes;
  • Technology of adding biomass to the coking process;
  • Technology of using biomass as fuel in the sintering and pelleting processes;
  • Application of biomass in non-blast-furnace ironmaking processes;
  • Technology of biomass utilization in steelmaking processes (e.g., basic oxygen furnace, electric arc furnace) and other metallurgical processes (e.g., cupola furnace, submerged arc furnace, induction furnace);
  • Life cycle analysis of the application of biomass in iron- and steelmaking systems.

Prof. Dr. Chuan Wang
Prof. Dr. Guangwei Wang
Prof. Dr. Yaowei Yu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomass for iron- and steelmaking
  • biomass feedstock
  • biomass upgrading technologies
  • climate neutral steel sector
  • sustainability
  • fossil CO2 reduction

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 3842 KiB  
Article
Applications of Hydrochar and Charcoal in the Iron and Steelmaking Industry—Part 1: Characterization of Carbonaceous Materials
by Yuchiao Lu, Hanmin Yang, Andrey V. Karasev, Chuan Wang and Pär G. Jönsson
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159488 - 2 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2534
Abstract
The iron and steelmaking industry faces the dilemma of the need to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions to align with decarbonization goals, while at the same time fulfill the increasing steel demand from the growing population. Replacing fossil coal and coke with biomass-based [...] Read more.
The iron and steelmaking industry faces the dilemma of the need to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions to align with decarbonization goals, while at the same time fulfill the increasing steel demand from the growing population. Replacing fossil coal and coke with biomass-based carbon materials reduces the net carbon dioxide emissions. However, there is currently a shortage of charcoal to fully cover the demand from the iron and steelmaking industry to achieve the emission-reduction goals. Moreover, the transportation and energy sectors can compete for biofuel usage in the next few decades. Simultaneously, our society faces challenges of accumulation of wastes, especially wet organic wastes that are currently not reused and recycled to their full potentials. Here, hydrothermal carbonization is a technology which can convert organic feedstocks with high moisture contents to solid fuels (hydrochar, one type of biochar) as an alternative renewable carbon material. This work studied the differences between a hydrochar, produced from lemon peels (Lemon Hydrochar), and two types of charcoals (with and without densification) and an Anthracite coal. Characterizations such as chemical and ash compositions, thermogravimetric analyses in nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmospheres, scanning electron microscope analyses of carbon surface morphologies, and pyrolysis up to 1200 °C were performed. The main conclusions from this study are the following: (1) hydrochar has a lower thermal stability and a higher reactivity compared to charcoal and Anthracite; (2) densification resulted in a reduction of the moisture pickup and CO2 reactivity of charcoal; (3) pyrolysis of Lemon Hydrochar resulted in the formation of a large amount of tar (17 wt%) and gas (39 wt%), leading to its low fixed carbon content (27 wt%); (4) a pyrolyzed hydrochar (up to 1200 °C) has a comparable higher heating value to those of charcoal and Anthracite, but its phosphorous, ash, and alkalis contents increased significantly; (5) based on the preliminary assessment, hydrochar should be blended with charcoal or Anthracite, or be upgraded through slow pyrolysis to fulfill the basic functions of carbon in the high-temperature metallurgical processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector)
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16 pages, 5629 KiB  
Article
Co-Combustion of Food Solid Wastes and Pulverized Coal for Blast Furnace Injection: Characteristics, Kinetics, and Superiority
by Jian Yang, Zhenying Li, Rufei Wei, Di Zhou, Hongming Long, Jiaxin Li and Chunbao (Charles) Xu
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7156; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127156 - 10 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1659
Abstract
The combustion characteristics and kinetics of food solid wastes (FSW), pulverized coal (PC), and their mixtures were studied by a non-isothermal thermogravimetric method. In the co-combustion of FSW and PC, with the increase in FSW content in the mixture, the initial decomposition temperature, [...] Read more.
The combustion characteristics and kinetics of food solid wastes (FSW), pulverized coal (PC), and their mixtures were studied by a non-isothermal thermogravimetric method. In the co-combustion of FSW and PC, with the increase in FSW content in the mixture, the initial decomposition temperature, burnout temperature, and ignition temperature of the mixture decreased, and the flammability index and comprehensive combustion characteristic index gradually increased. The co-combustion of FSW and PC showed an inhibitory effect in the devolatilization stage but exhibited a combustion-promoting effect in the fixed carbon combustion stage. The interaction between FSW and PC while co-combusting them appeared to be dominated by thermal effects. On one hand, FSW combusted first and released heat that was partially absorbed by the PC, which hence suppressed the devolatilization stage of the co-combustion process. On the other hand, the PC absorbed the heat released by the combustion of the FSW, which increased the combustion rate of the PC in the fixed carbon combustion stage of the co-combustion process. The activation energy of the devolatilization stage and the fixed carbon combustion stage of the co-combustion process was calculated to be 34.16–74.52 kJ/mol and 15.04–36.15 kJ/mol, respectively. In general, the combustion performance of FSW is better than that of PC. The mixed injection of FSW and PC can improve the overall combustion efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions in the iron-making process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector)
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11 pages, 1388 KiB  
Article
Feasibility Study of Bio-Sludge Hydrochar as Blast Furnace Injectant
by Wang Liang, Pavlina Nanou, Heather Wray, Jianliang Zhang, Ingemar Lundstrom, Stefan Lundqvist and Chuan Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5510; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095510 - 4 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1678
Abstract
Hydrothermal treatment can convert paper mill biological (bio-) sludge waste into more energy-dense hydrochar, which can achieve energy savings and fossil CO2 emissions reduction when used for metallurgical applications. This study assesses the basic, combustion and safety performance of bio-sludge hydrochar (BSHC) [...] Read more.
Hydrothermal treatment can convert paper mill biological (bio-) sludge waste into more energy-dense hydrochar, which can achieve energy savings and fossil CO2 emissions reduction when used for metallurgical applications. This study assesses the basic, combustion and safety performance of bio-sludge hydrochar (BSHC) to evaluate its feasibility of use in blast furnace injection processes. When compared to bituminous and anthracite coals, BSHC has high volatile matter and ash content, and low fixed carbon content, calorific value and ignition point. The Ti and Tf values of BSHC are lower and the combustion time longer compared to coal. The R0.5 value of BSHC is 5.27 × 10−4 s−1, indicating a better combustion performance than coal. A mixture of BSHC and anthracite reduces the ignition point and improves the ignition and combustion performance of anthracite: an equal mixture of BSHC and anthracite has a R0.5 of 3.35 × 10−4 s−1. The explosiveness of BSHC and bituminous coal is 800 mm, while the explosiveness of anthracite is 0 mm. A mixture of 30% BSHC in anthracite results in a maximum explosiveness value of 10 mm, contributing to safer use of BSHC. Mixing BSHC and anthracite is promising for improving combustion performance in a blast furnace while maintaining safe conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector)
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20 pages, 5727 KiB  
Article
Applications of Hydrochar and Charcoal in the Iron and Steelmaking Industry—Part 2: Carburization of Liquid Iron by Addition of Iron–Carbon Briquettes
by Yu-Chiao Lu, Liviu Brabie, Andrey V. Karasev and Chuan Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5383; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095383 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2237
Abstract
Hydrochar (a solid product from hydrothermal carbonization of organic feedstock) and charcoal have the potential to substitute coke and coal consumption in the iron and steelmaking processes for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Among steelmaking processes, melt carburization is an important but [...] Read more.
Hydrochar (a solid product from hydrothermal carbonization of organic feedstock) and charcoal have the potential to substitute coke and coal consumption in the iron and steelmaking processes for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Among steelmaking processes, melt carburization is an important but less-studied application. In this study, briquettes produced with mixture a of iron powder, hydrochar or charcoal powder, and binder were tested as iron melt recarburizers. It was found that the hydrochar briquettes have good mechanical properties, whereas those of charcoal briquettes were poor. Melt carburization with briquettes was performed in a lab induction furnace (10 kg) in two steps: firstly, by heating up some briquettes with charged electrolytic iron from room temperature up to 1600 °C, followed by the addition of some briquettes into the melt. Recarburization efficiency (RE) during the first step of carburization was found to be controlled by the amount of carbon content bound in the solid phase (fixed carbon) determined at 1200 °C. Thus, the REs of charcoal briquettes (70–72%) were higher than those of hydrochar (43–58%) due to the higher fixed carbon contents in charcoal. REs obtained from the second step were strongly affected by the amount of briquette losses during their addition into the iron melt, which correlate with the mechanical strengths of the briquettes. Thus, the REs for hydrochar briquettes (48–54%) were higher than those of charcoal (26–39%). This study proves the feasibility of using hydrochar and charcoal as liquid steel recarburizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector)
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13 pages, 2037 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation Study on the Effects of Co-Injection of Pulverized Coal and Hydrochar into the Blast Furnace
by Tao Li, Guangwei Wang, Heng Zhou, Xiaojun Ning and Cuiliu Zhang
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084407 - 7 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
To solve the energy crisis and slow down the greenhouse effect, it is urgent to find alternative energy sources for the iron and steel production process. Hydrochar is an auxiliary fuel and the only renewable carbon source that could reduce the injection of [...] Read more.
To solve the energy crisis and slow down the greenhouse effect, it is urgent to find alternative energy sources for the iron and steel production process. Hydrochar is an auxiliary fuel and the only renewable carbon source that could reduce the injection of bituminous coal into the blast furnace. Numerical simulation is an effective method of understanding the combustion performance in the lower part of the blast furnace. A 3D blowpipe-tuyere-raceway model was established using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to study the effects on combustion performance between pulverized coal and hydrochar. The results showed that co-injection of anthracite and hydrochar has a better combustion performance than co-injection of anthracite and bituminous coal, with a more appropriate distribution of temperature, velocity, and gas phase. With the co-injection of hydrochar, the total burnout rate and anthracite burnout rate increased, respectively, by 6% and 2.1%, which is caused by the interaction mechanism between anthracite and hydrochar. As a result, hydrochar as an auxiliary fuel for blast furnace injection not only can achieve low-carbon production and cut down carbon emission but also benefit the combustion process of anthracite coal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass towards a Climate-Neutral and Sustainable Steel Sector)
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