Developments in Alternative Ironmaking

Alternative ironmaking processes compete with the blast furnace process route. The blast furnace, the most important hot metal producer, has improved over the years and continues to do so. Consequently replacing the blast furnace is a formidable task. The success rate of alternative processes has been low, i.e. limited to niche applications. Why do we continue to work in this field? Because the drivers to develop alternative processes are very strong. For example, the expected coke shortage has been the driver for coal based developments in Europe in the period 1980-1990. Some of the recent developments evolved from the work done in that period. In later years, around the year 2000, the Climate Change issue became the driver for development. And the high price level of iron ore of the last decade can spur a new wave of ironmaking developments. The HIsarna alternative ironmaking process is an example of a development that combines several of the drivers mentioned above. The process has the potential to considerably reduce the CO2 emissions per ton. But it can also use more economically priced raw materials such as non coking coals and iron ores outside the quality range for blast furnace ironmaking. Therefore the process can offer economic benefits as well as environmental benefits.