ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2023 13 SUSTAINABILITY BRIEF GREENER STEEL PRODUCTION A new adaptation for existing iron and steel furnaces could reduce CO emissions from the steelmaking industry by nearly 90%, adhering to standards set by the International Renewable Energy Agency that must be achieved by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Developed by researchers at University of Birmingham, U.K., the radical reduction method operates through a closed loop carbon recycling system, which could replace 90% of the coke typically used in current blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace systems and produce oxygen as a biproduct. If implemented in the U.K. alone, the researchers say, it could save US$1.3 billion in production costs over five years while reducing overall U.K. emissions by 2.9%. Most of the world’s steel is produced via blast furnaces, which produce iron from iron ore, and basic oxygen furnaces, which turn that iron into steel. The novel recycling system captures the CO from the top gas and reduces it to carbon monoxide (CO) using a crystalline mineral lattice known as a perovskite material. The material was chosen as the reactions take place within a range of temperatures (700°- 800°C) that can be powered by renewable energy sources or otherwise generated using heat exchangers connected to the blast furnaces. Under a high concentration of CO , the perovskite splits CO into oxygen, which is absorbed into the lattice, and CO, which is fed back into the blast furnace. The perovskite can be regenerated to its original form in a chemical reaction that takes place in a low oxygen environment. The oxygen produced can be used in the basic oxygen furnace to produce steel. The researchers filed a patent application covering the system and its use in metal production and are looking for long-term partners to participate in pilot studies, deliver this technology to existing infrastructure, or collaborate on further research to develop the system. www.birmingham.ac.uk. GAS AND LIQUIDPROOF MATERIAL Using liquid metal, an international team of researchers led by scientists at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, created a technique to produce an elastic material that is impervious to both gases and liquids. Applications for the material include use as packaging for high-value technologies that require protection from gases, such as flexible batteries. The new method makes use of a eutectic alloy of gallium and indium (EGaIn), which is liquid at room temperature. After forming the alloy into a thin film, the researchers encased it in an elastic polymer. Then, they studded the interior surface of the polymer with microscale glass beads, which prevented the liquid film of EGaIn from pooling. The resulting elastic material is essentially a pliable bag or sheath lined with liquid metal, which does not allow gases or liquids in or out. The researchers tested the effectiveness of the new material by assessing the extent to which it allowed liquid contents to evaporate, as well as the extent to which it allowed oxygen to leak out of a sealed container made of the material. Additional studies are in progress. ncsu.edu. Henkel Adhesive Technologies and cyclos-HTP Institute (CHI), both in Germany, announced a partnership to bring together adhesives and coatings expertise with downstream recycling knowledge. The goal is to give industrial customers better access to in-house testing and certification, materials science R&D, and sustainable packaging design consultation. CHI is one of Europe’s leading institutes for recyclability testing and certification. henkel.com. A new method for reducing CO2 emissions in steelmaking is underway. Courtesy of Scanrail. Researchers developed a new material that is elastic, flexible, and impervious to both gases and liquids. Courtesy of Michael Dickey.
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