Biomass–Coal Hybrid Fuel: A Route to Net-Zero Iron Ore Sintering

The global steel industry uses fossil fuels to produce millions of tonnes iron ore sinter each year. Sintering is an energy-intensive process that fuses and flux material balances a high mechanical strength at sufficient particle size ensure macroporous burden in the blast furnace enable rapid gas flow. As significant CO2 greenhouse emissions are emitted, defossilisation these vital net-zero carbon targets. Two iterations new biomass–coal hybrid fuel (ecoke®(A) ecoke®(B)) were compared with coke breeze anthracite coal using oxygen bomb calorimetry, simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) combining thermogravimetry differential scanning isoconversional kinetic modelling pyrolysis–GCMS study volatile matter. calorific values both ecoke®(A) (B) marginally higher than breeze: 27.9 MJ/kg 27.8 MJ/kg, respectively, 26.5 for breeze. A proximate revealed ecoke® samples have matter contents (ca. 12–13%) (7.4%), but less 14%). thermogravimetric burnout kinetics heated up 1000 °C, heating rates from 5 25 °C/min, showed had ignition temperatures samples. Kinetic Freidman Ozawa methods found comparable maximum mass loss lower activation energies. From results, potential replace some sintering or EAF processes help achieve net zero by offsetting 30% emissions.