Manufacturing Efficiency

More information on this project is coming soon!

More information on this project is coming soon!

Blue Origin is developing an “Ouroboros” system that produces high-purity ferro-silicate pig iron from low-quality iron ores using molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) with zero direct process greenhouse gas emissions. Blue Origin will leverage MOE expertise developed for lunar applications including novel, efficient indirect heating methods. An integrated system could excavate, beneficiate, and extract iron product in mine-tailings facilities using only raw feedstocks and electrical power provided by solar panels and batteries.

The University of Minnesota is developing a fully electrified microwave hydrogen plasma process to replace blast furnace technology. The proposed approach uses microwaves to generate an ionized hydrogen gas that supplies significant gas heating at ambient pressures. The technology will use blast furnace and direct reduction grade iron ore concentrates, eliminating the emissions associated with the palletization, sintering, and coke-making steps in the conventional blast furnace process.

Form Energy is leveraging its patent-pending breakthrough to directly produce iron powders from alkaline iron ore slurries in a first-of-a-kind powder-to-powder process. The technology features an electrolyzer designed to allow continuous electrolytic production of high-purity iron with high efficiency from slurries with low solids content. Using domestically available iron ore feedstocks, the process has the potential to produce greenhouse gas emission-free iron at cost parity with today’s carbon-intensive ironmaking methods.

Argonne National Laboratory is developing a microwave-powered hydrogen plasma rotary kiln process for reducing iron ore that would eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from the ironmaking process. The proposed technology eliminates the coke used in traditional blast furnaces and removes the energy-intensive step of pelletizing iron ore. The approach takes advantage of the fact that atomic, ionic, and vibrationally excited species of hydrogen plasma reduce ore more effectively than molecular hydrogen.

Georgia Institute of Technology is developing a method to produce net-shaped engineered lattice structures and cellular structures of alloy steels by solid-state direct reduction of extruded structures. Domestically mined taconite ore would be refined to remove impurities and obtain finely ground sinter-grade iron oxide powders. The fine iron oxide powder combined with other oxide powders and polymer binders would then be extruded into desired structures.

Electra is developing a process for producing iron at the temperature of a cup of coffee using unconventional feedstocks. The process involves two electrochemical cell stacks: First, an ultra-low-cost acid-base generator that uses electricity to produce sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, and then uses these chemicals for the processing and separation of the feedstock into its constituent materials, including ferrous hydroxide. The second electrochemical cell stack is an electrowinning cell that converts ferrous hydroxide into iron metal at an unprecedented high efficiency.

Limelight Steel is developing a laser furnace to convert iron ore into iron metal without emitting carbon dioxide at lower cost than a blast furnace. The process leverages semiconductor laser diodes, which enable new temperature and pressure ranges to reduce high- and low-grade iron ore fines into molten iron metal. The approach eliminates the need to sinter or pelletize iron ore for traditional ironmaking furnaces. Limelight estimates that their technology would reduce energy consumption of steelmaking by 46% and emissions by 81%.

The Pennsylvania State University is developing an efficient, productive, and reliable electrochemical process for the economical reduction of iron ore at temperatures below 600°C without direct greenhouse gas emissions. Iron oxide ore would be electrochemically reduced to metallic iron at the cathode, and oxygen gas would be generated as the only byproduct at the anode using stable oxygen-evolving anode materials.