China’s ‘explosive’ ironmaking breakthrough achieves 3,600-fold productivity boost

A new method for making iron is not only faster and cheaper, but also better for the environment, according to Chinese researchers

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A new method for ‘flash ironmaking’ has the potential to revolutionise steel manufacturing. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 12:00pm, 8 Dec 2024Updated: 2:43pm, 8 Dec 2024

After more than a decade of intensive research in China, a new ironmaking technology is poised to revolutionise the global steel manufacturing industry.

The method involves injecting finely ground iron ore powder into an extremely hot furnace, triggering an “explosive chemical reaction”, according to the engineers involved in the project.

The result is a display of bright red, glowing liquid iron droplets that rain down and collect at the bottom of the furnace, forming a stream of high-purity iron that can be directly used for casting or “one-step steelmaking”.

Known as flash ironmaking, the method “can complete the ironmaking process in just three to six seconds, compared to the five to six hours required by traditional blast furnaces”, wrote the project team led by Professor Zhang Wenhai, an academician of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Engineering, in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nonferrous Metals in November.

This equates to a 3,600-fold or more increase in the speed of ironmaking. The new method also works exceptionally well for low or medium-yield ores that are abundant in China, according to the researchers.

Existing iron production methods depend heavily on high-yield ores, and China spends a huge amount of money importing these ores from Australia, Brazil and Africa.

According to calculations by Zhang and his colleagues, the new technology could improve the energy use efficiency of China’s steel industry by more than one-third. As it eliminates the need for coal entirely, it would also enable the steel industry to achieve the coveted goal of “near-zero carbon dioxide emissions”, Zhang’s team added.