METHOD FOR PRODUCING STEEL USING SUPER-PURE IRON ORE POWDER AND HYDROGEN

Abstract

Methods for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder and hydrogen are provided. In the method, iron ore concentrate is purified to form super-pure iron ore powder. The super-pure iron ore powder is reduced with hydrogen introduced into a first furnace, which can be a hydrogen electric furnace, a hydrogen tube furnace, a hydrogen box furnace, an electromagnetic induction furnace, or a hydrogen thermal plasma furnace. The reduced iron product can be melted in the same or a different furnace, which can be a hydrogen electric furnace, belt furnace, an electromagnetic induction furnace, hydrogen thermal plasma furnace, or an electrical arc furnace. The reducing and melting steps result in a steel product. The present methods result in zero carbon dioxide emissions.

Claims

1. A method for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder and hydrogen, the method comprising: purifying iron ore concentrate to form super-pure iron ore powder, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder has a purity of at least 98%; reducing the super-pure iron ore powder with hydrogen introduced into a first furnace, wherein the first furnace is a hydrogen electric furnace, a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, or hydrogen thermal plasma furnace; melting the super-pure iron ore powder in a second furnace, wherein the second furnace is a hydrogen electric furnace, a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, hydrogen thermal plasma furnace, or an electrical arc furnace; and cooling a steel product of the reducing and melting steps, wherein the process results in zero carbon dioxide emissions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of purifying comprises: grinding the iron ore concentrate in a ball mill or vertical mill to dissociate iron ore particles from gangue minerals in the iron ore concentrate to form iron ore slurry; separating the iron ore particles from the gangue minerals via a mineral processing equipment to form purified iron ore particles, wherein the mineral processing equipment comprises a magnetic separator, gravity separation equipment, or flotation equipment; and dewatering, filtering, and drying the purified iron ore particles to form the super-pure iron ore powder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder has a particle size of less than 100 mesh.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder has a particle size of less than 325 mesh.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced into a solid iron form via the hydrogen reduction furnace at a temperature in the range of approximately 500-1200 C., and wherein the solid iron is melted in the second furnace at a temperature of approximately 1400-1600 C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are the same furnace and wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are a hydrogen electric furnace, or a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, and wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is first reduced with hydrogen in the furnace and then the reduced iron product melted to form the steel product.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are the same furnace and wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are a high-temperature hydrogen electric furnace or a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, and wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is first melted in the furnace and then reduced with hydrogen to form the steel product.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are the same furnace and said furnace is a hydrogen thermal plasma furnace, and wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced and melted simultaneously in the hydrogen thermal plasma furnace.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder can be reduced into liquid form or solid form, and wherein when the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced in solid form, the temperature of the first furnace is in the range of approximately 500-1200 C., and wherein when the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced in liquid form, the temperature of the first furnace is in the range of approximately 1400-1600 C.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace is a hydrogen thermal plasma furnace, and wherein the temperature of the hydrogen thermal plasma furnace does not exceed 5000 C.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen introduced into the first furnace has a purity of approximately 5-100%.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the iron ore concentrate comprises hematite type iron ore or magnetite type iron ore or both.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace and the second furnace are the same furnace.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the iron ore powder has a purity of at least 99.0%.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first furnace is a hydrogen electric furnace and the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced at a temperature of approximately 900 C. for approximately 120-180 minutes, and the wherein the second furnace is a hydrogen electric furnace, and the super-pure iron ore powder is melted at a temperature of approximately 1550 C. for approximately 30 minutes.

16. A method for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder and hydrogen, the method comprising: supplying super-pure iron ore powder, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder has a purity of at least 98% and is substantially free of gangue minerals; reducing the super-pure iron ore powder with hydrogen in a hydrogen electric furnace to form a solid iron, wherein the hydrogen reduction reaction in the furnace occurs at a temperature range of approximately 500-1200 C.; melting the solid iron in the hydrogen electric furnace to form a melted steel product, wherein the solid iron is melted at a temperature in a range of approximately 1400-1600 C.; and cooling the steel product of the reducing and melting steps, wherein the process results in zero carbon dioxide emissions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced at a temperature of approximately 900 C., and the wherein the solid iron is melted at a temperature of approximately 1550 C.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced at a temperature of approximately 900 C. for approximately 120-180 minutes, and wherein the solid iron is melted at a temperature of approximately 1550 C. for approximately 30 minutes.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the method does not require coal, coke, or bentonite.

20. A method for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder and hydrogen, the method comprising: reducing and melting the super-pure iron ore powder in a hydrogen electric furnace to form a steel product, wherein the super-pure iron ore powder is reduced with hydrogen and wherein the hydrogen reduction reaction and melting of the super-pure iron ore powder in the furnace occurs simultaneously at a temperature in a range of approximately 1400-1600 C. for approximately 30-60 minutes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The processes of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below and with reference to the attached drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 displays a flow diagram showing steps of a method for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP) and hydrogen in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 2 displays a flow diagram showing exemplary steps for purifying iron ore concentrate into super-pure iron ore powder in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 3 displays a diagram of exemplary hydrogen reduction and the reduced iron melting devices in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0028] Disclosed herein are methods for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP) and hydrogen. The present methods result in zero CO.sub.2 emissions, and in one or more embodiments provides a one-step steelmaking process flow. In one or more embodiments, the SPIOP in the present method is first produced from iron ore concentrate or a feed of pellets or sinters. In this step, the iron ore concentrate (typically about 85%-95% purity of iron oxide content) is purified to about 98-100% purity of iron oxide content, whereby the contents of harmful impurities (like Si, AI, P, S) are mechanically removed.

[0029] The SPIOP is then reduced with hydrogen and melted in one or more high-temperature furnaces (e.g., hydrogen electric furnace). The hydrogen reduction of the SPIOP and the melting of the reduced product can occur in the same furnace or an option of a different furnace. The resulting steel product is then cooled or sent to the next steel refining facility in molten form. The final steel product is a mild steel with very few impurities (e.g., Si, AI, P, S).

[0030] These and other aspects of the present methods are described in further detail below. Further, as used in the present application, the terms about and approximately when used in conjunction with a numerical value refer to any number within about 5, 3 or 1% of the referenced numerical value, including the referenced numerical value.

[0031] As mentioned above, in accordance with one or more embodiments, the present application discloses methods for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP) and hydrogen.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram showing steps of a method for producing steel using super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP) and hydrogen in accordance with one or more embodiments. In accordance with one or more embodiments and with reference to FIG. 1, the method 100 begins at step S105, in which iron ore concentrate is purified to form super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP). The iron ore concentrate can be a feedstock of pellets or sinters, for example. In certain embodiments, the iron ore concentrate has an approximately 6068% Fe content, which equals a purity of approximately 85-95% iron oxide content. In at least one embodiment, the iron ore concentrate can comprise hematite-type iron ore or magnetite-type iron ore or both. In this step, harmful impurities that include silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), sulfur(S), and phosphorus (P), etc, are removed. For example, compounds such as SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, CaO, MgO, S, and P can be removed from the iron ore concentrate during the purifying step. In certain embodiments, step S105 is optional, and in such embodiments, a purified iron ore product can be supplied to the performer of the method.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the resulting SPIOP has a purity of at least 98%. In at least one embodiment, the resulting SPIOP has a purity of at least 99%. In one or more embodiments, the resulting SPIOP has a particle size of less than approximately 100 mesh. In at least one embodiment, the SPIOP has a particle size of less than 325 mesh.

[0034] In one or more embodiments, the SPIOP is purified (step S105) via a series of specific steps, as exemplified in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. With reference now to FIG. 2, at S201, the iron ore concentrate is provided as a feeding material. At step S202, the iron ore concentrate undergoes a grinding step in which the iron ore concentrate is ground in a vertical mill or a ball mill, for example, to dissociate the iron ore particles from the gangue minerals (e.g., silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), sulfur(S), and phosphorous (P)), which can include quartz and rocks present in the iron ore concentrate. The grinding of the iron ore concentrate reduced the particle size of the iron ore (e.g., to approximately-325 mesh, or to less than approximately 100 mesh) and the iron ore concentrate forms an iron ore slurry. In at least one embodiment, the iron ore concentrated is ground to a particle size of 0.076 mm or less. At step S203, the iron ore slurry undergoes a mineral separation step in which the iron ore particles are physically separated from the gangue minerals. In one or more embodiments, the mineral separation step can be performed via mineral processing equipment (physical separation equipment) with multiple stages. In one or more embodiments, the mineral processing equipment comprises at least one of a magnetic separator, gravity separation equipment, or flotation equipment. In at least one embodiment, the mineral processing equipment that performs the mineral separation step is a magnetic drum separator. The mineral separation separates out the gangue minerals and other residue (tailings) of the iron ore concentrate and forms purified iron ore particles that are substantially free of the gangue minerals.

[0035] With continued reference to FIG. 2, at steps S204 the purified iron ore particles undergo a dewatering step in which water is removed from the purified iron ore particles. In at least one embodiment, the dewatering step can be performed via centrifugation or other solid-liquid separation methods. At step S205, the purified iron ore particles then undergo a filtering step to further remove water from the purified iron ore particles. At step S206 the purified iron ore particles are dried. The combination of steps S204-S206 produce the SPIOP. In at least one embodiment, steps 204-206 can be consolidated into a single solid-liquid separation method in order to remove water or other liquids from the purified iron ore particles to form the SPIOP.

[0036] In one or more optional steps, a sample of the resulting SPIOP can be tested (e.g., via analytical chemistry methods) to ensure that the super-pure iron ore powder product meets the preferred purity requirements and is substantially free of gangue minerals (e.g., at least 98% purity or at least 99% purity). If the physical separation equipment (e.g., magnetic separator) fails to deliver the required purity of iron ore, either the iron ore concentrate goes through the purification process again to reach the level of qualified purity needed, or the disqualified iron ore concentrate will be turned into DRI and disqualified clean steel. The disqualified DRI/clean steel will be discharged and recycled as inputs to an electric arc furnace (EAF) to produce steel the conventional way.

[0037] While the remaining disclosure discusses method for steelmaking with the SPIOP in a hydrogen (H.sub.2)-based process, it is noted that the produced SPIOP can alternatively be used in non-hydrogen steelmaking processes (e.g., electrowinning of iron ore, molten iron oxide electrolysis), where the SPIOP acts as the feedstock.

[0038] Referring back again to FIG. 1, once the iron ore concentrate has been purified to form super-pure iron ore powder (SPIOP), then at step S110 the SPIOP is supplied to one or more furnaces.

[0039] At steps S115, the SPIOP is introduced with hydrogen (H.sub.2) into a first furnace, and the SPIOP undergoes a reduction reaction with H.sub.2. In one or more embodiments, the first furnace can be a hydrogen reduction furnace, or more specifically a hydrogen electric furnace (e.g., belt-type, tube-type, box-type), a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, or a hydrogen thermal plasma furnace. In at least one embodiment, the SPIOP is placed in a corundum crucible or similar container before being introduced into the first furnace. The H.sub.2 can be introduced into the first furnace as a gas via a gas line in fluid connection with the first furnace, for example. The H.sub.2 introduced into the first furnace can have a purity of approximately 5-100%. In one or more embodiments, the chemical reaction(s) in the reduction step are as follows:

3Fe.sub.2O.sub.3+H.sub.2.fwdarw.2Fe.sub.3O.sub.4+H.sub.2O

Fe.sub.3O.sub.4+H.sub.2.fwdarw.3FeO+H.sub.2O

FeO+H.sub.2.fwdarw.Fe+H.sub.2O

[0040] The SPIOP can be reduced in the form of a liquid or a solid. In one or more embodiments, to reduce the SPIOP in solid form, the first furnace is operated in a temperature range of approximately 500-1200 C. In one or more embodiments, to reduce the SPIOP in liquid form, the first furnace is operated in a temperature range of approximately 1400-1600 C. In at least one embodiment, the first furnace is a hydrogen reduction furnace, that can be made of alumina fiber material and heated by high-quality molybdenum wire, for example. The hydrogen reduction furnace can have a maximum operating temperature of approximately 1700 C. in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0041] In at least one embodiment in which the SPIOP is reduced in solid form, the solid form can be a sponge iron form. For example, in one or more implementation, the first furnace can be a hydrogen reduction furnace and the SPIOP can be reduced into a solid sponge iron form in the hydrogen reduction furnace operating in a temperature range of approximately 500-1200 C.

[0042] In general, when the SPIOP is placed in the first furnace for reduction, the furnace is heated to the desired temperature or temperature range, and kept constant for the duration of the reduction step. For example, in one or more embodiments, the SPIOP can be reduced in the first furnace at an operating temperature of approximately 900 C. for approximately 180 minutes. Before heating up the furnace to the operating temperature, the operator can optionally perform a gas leak by charging nitrogen and/or argon into the furnace via an injection tube as is known and understood in the art. After the gas leak testing, H.sub.2 can replace the nitrogen/argon in the injection tube to provide the H.sub.2 into the furnace for the reduction reaction. Once the reduction reaction is complete, excess H.sub.2 that exits the furnace via exhaust can be recycled or reused for subsequent use. For example, H.sub.2 can be recycled or reused after removing the water in the exhaust using existing equipment in the art, including equipment made by companies such as MIDREX, ENERGIRON, FINEX.

[0043] In general, the present methods do not require the use of a slag component (e.g., CaO) or alloy materials (e.g. C, Mn, Ni, Cr). However, in an alternative embodiment, a slag component can optionally be added to the first furnace or second furnace to go further in removing any remaining impurities from the product (e.g. Si) to produce high-pure iron (e.g., 99.9%), or alloy materials can be optionally added to the first furnace or the second furnace to assist in producing carbon-steel or other alloy steel.

[0044] Once the reduction reaction of the SPIOP in the first furnace is complete, at step S120 the reduced iron product is melted in a second furnace to form a steel product. The second furnace can be, for example, a hydrogen electric furnace (e.g., tube furnace), a hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace, a hydrogen thermal plasma furnace, or an electrical arc furnace. In certain embodiments, the first and second furnaces in the method can be a single furnace. In certain embodiments, the first and second furnaces can be separate furnaces and either the same type of furnace or different types of furnaces.

[0045] The reduced SPIOP is melted at a higher temperature as compared with the operating temperature during the reduction reaction. Specifically, in one or more embodiments, the second furnace can have an operating temperature range of approximately 1400-1600 C. In at least one embodiment, the operating temperature of the second furnace is 1550 C. In one or more embodiments, the reduced iron product is melted in the second furnace for approximately 30-45 minutes. In at least one embodiment, the reduced iron product is melted in the second furnace for approximately 30 minutes. In certain embodiments, the reduction step (S115) and melting step (S120) can be performed in a single furnace, such as a high-temperature hydrogen tube furnace.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the melting step of S120 can occur prior to the reducing step S115. For example, in at least one embodiment, the first furnace and the second furnace are the same, single furnace (e.g., high-temperature hydrogen tube furnace) and the SPIOP can be melted first and then reduced with hydrogen second to form the steel product. In this embodiment, the operating temperature range for the furnace is approximately 1400-1600 C.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the reducing step S115 and the melting step S120 can occur simultaneously. For instance, in at least embodiment, the first furnace and the second furnace are the same, single furnace (e.g., a hydrogen electric furnace such as a high-temperature hydrogen tube furnace; hydrogen electromagnetic induction furnace; hydrogen thermal plasma furnace) and the SPIOP is reduced with hydrogen and melted simultaneously at an operating temperature of approximately 1400-1600 C. for approximately 30-60 minutes. Thus, in at least this embodiment, the present method can provide a one-step process for making steel from SPIOP.

[0048] Once the SPIOP has been melted, at step S125 the steel product is cooled. For instance, in at least one embodiment, once the reduced iron product is melted, the power of the furnace is turned off to reduce the temperature in the furnace to room temperature to allow the steel product (sometimes referred to as mild steel) to cool. Additionally, any flow of nitrogen or argon in the second furnace is stopped. Nitrogen and argon can have multiple uses in one or both of the furnaces, including use as protective gases. For example, nitrogen and argon can be used to push the air out of the tube before injecting hydrogen to reduce risk of combustion. Nitrogen or argon can also be used to prevent the reduced iron from re-oxidation during cooling. Alternatively, instead of cooling, the steel product can be sent to another steel refining facility in molten form.

[0049] Once the steel product has cooled, a sample of the steel product can optionally undergo a chemical analysis to test the attributes of the product (e.g., test for impurities).

[0050] At step S130, the process ends. The overall process of the present application is a green process that results in zero carbon dioxide emissions. Specifically, in one or more embodiments, the process does not use coal, coke, lime, dolomite, bentonite, or organic binder. Only SPIOP, hydrogen and electricity are used. By not including coke and coal in the process, CO.sub.2 emissions are avoided, and avoiding the use lime, dolomite or organic binder can reduce the cost, amount of solid waste.

[0051] FIG. 3 displays a diagram of exemplary system for hydrogen reduction and iron ore melting devices, including a furnace, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, a single furnace is used for the hydrogen reduction and melting steps of the present method. Specifically, with reference now to FIG. 3, the system 300 can include a cylinder 305 comprising pure H.sub.2 gas, and a cylinder 310 comprising nitrogen and/or argon. The system 305 can further include gas-flow rate gauges 315 and 320 which control the flow rate of the H.sub.2 and nitrogen/argon, respectively The cylinder 305 can also be in fluid connection with an anti-gas back flow valve 325 preventing backflow of the hydrogen. The cylinder 310 can be in fluid connection with a gas switch valve 330, which prevents the gas flow back to the cylinder 310. The cylinders 305 and 310 can also include a pressure gauge 335 and 340, respectively. The cylinders 305 and 310 are in fluid connection with one or more gas tubes 345 for transporting the respective gasses to one or more hydrogen reduction/melting furnaces 350. The gas tube(s) 345 can be in fluid connection with the furnace(s) 350 via a corundum tube 355, which can comprise a flange 360 for sealing at one or both ends. The system 300 can further include a corundum crucible 365 for holding the SPIOP 370 while it is in the furnace(s) 350. The furnace(s) 350 can include one or more thermal insulation layers 375, a temperature controller 380, and an exhaust 385.

[0052] The present methods provide several advantages over conventional methods, and addresses some shortcomings of conventional systems and methods. For example, the present method is environmentally friendly and drastically reduces the amount of solid waste associated with a steelmaking process. Specifically, the present method does not use certain non-renewable resources, such as coal, limestone, dolomite, or bentonite, and the present methods do not produce carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) or slag. This is in direct contrast with conventional processes of the steelmaking industry, which are responsible for 7%-9% of global CO.sub.2 emissions. Additionally, the present methods greatly reduce operational costs, capital costs, and energy consumption as compared with prior steelmaking processes. Further, the present methods use of hydrogen from the steel production makes the present processes even better for the environment relative to prior processes, as hydrogen is a renewable energy source.

[0053] Another advantage of the present methods is that the gangue minerals and harmful impurities (e.g., SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, S, P, etc.) in the iron ore are removed before they enter the steelmaking furnace(s), which helps to improve the purity of the Fe content in the SPIOP and subsequently leads to a high-quality steel product with low impurities.

[0054] The features and advantages of the present methods and systems are further understood in view of the following examples.

EXAMPLES

[0055] In the following experiments, four iron ore concentrate samples were tested and purified to produce four different SPIOP samples, each being purified to approximately 99% (Tables 1-4). The different SPIOP samples were then reduced by hydrogen and melted in a high-temperature electrical hydrogen tube furnace. The final products are mild steels, each having over 99% Fe content with very low impurities such as Si, Al, S, and P (Tables 5-8). These tests validate the present steelmaking methods. Table 9 compares the chemical compositions of the final mild steel products from Tables 5-8 with common related iron and steel products.

[0056] The testing results of SPIOP-making are shown in Tables 1-4.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 The Chemical Composition of The Product of SPIOP-Making Testing 1 (Wt %) Purity Total Name Total (Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 Impurities (Testing 1) Fe SiO.sub.2 Al.sub.2O.sub.3 S P Content) Content Feed 65.45 3.70 1.23 0.050 0.055 93.50 6.50 (Iron Ore Concentrate Sample 1) Product 69.49 0.21 0.15 0.028 0.019 99.27 0.73 (SPIOP Sample 1) Percentage 94.32 87.80 44.00 65.45 88.77 of Impurity Removal Flowsheet Feed (hematite concentrate)-Grinding-Physical Separation-Dewatering -Drying- Product (SPIOP)

[0057] It can be seen from Table 1 that the total impurities content in iron ore concentrate (hematite) sample 1 dropped from 6.50% to 0.73%, which means 88.77% impurities have been removed before entering the steelmaking furnace. Table 1 also shows that the iron ore concentrate sample 1 was purified from 93.5% to 99.27%. This purified product (SPIOP) here, as with for the following examples, can then be used as a raw material for the steelmaking steps of the process of the present application.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 The Chemical Composition of The Product of SPIOP-Making Testing 2 (Wt %) Purity Total Name Total (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 Impurities (Testing 2) Fe SiO.sub.2 Al.sub.2O.sub.3 S P Content) Content Feed 65.30 8.28 0.35 0.073 0.026 90.24 9.76 (Iron Ore Concentrate Sample 2) Product 71.72 0.38 0.11 0.012 0.012 99.06 0.94 (SPIOP Sample 2) Percentage 95.41 68.57 83.56 53.85 90.34 of Impurity Removal Flowsheet Feed (magnetite concentrate)-Grinding-Physical Separation-Dewatering - Drying-Product (SPIOP)

[0058] Table 2 shows that the total impurities content in the iron ore concentrate (hematite) sample 2 dropped from 9.76% to 0.94%, which means 90.34% impurities were removed before entering the steelmaking furnace. Moreover, the iron ore concentrate sample 2 was purified from 90.24% to 99.06% to form the SPIOP.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 The Chemical Composition of The Product of SPIOP-Making Testing 3 (Wt %) Purity Total Name (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 Impurities (Testing 3) Total Fe SiO.sub.2 Al.sub.2O.sub.3 S P Content) Content Feed 63.33 4.31 0.02 0.010 0.008 87.52 12.48 (Iron Ore Concentrate Sample 3) Product 71.43 1.16 trace trace <0.005 98.71 1.29 (SPIOP (Al.sub.2O.sub.3< (S < 0.01) Sample 3) 0.02) Percentage 73.09 89.66 of Impurity Removal Flowsheet Feed (magnetite concentrate)-Grinding-Physical Separation-Dewatering - Drying-Product (SPIOP)

[0059] The results in Table 3 show that, for iron ore concentrate (hematite) sample 3, the harmful components (Al.sub.2O.sub.3, S, P) were decreased nearly to zero (trace). The total impurities content in the sample 3 were lowered to 1.29% from 12.48%, which means 89.66% impurities were removed before entering into the steelmaking furnace. The iron ore concentrate sample 3 was purified from 87.52% to 98.71% to form the SPIOP product.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Chemical Composition of The Product of SPIOP-Making Testing 4 (Wt %) Purity Total Name (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 Impurities (Testing 4) Total Fe SiO.sub.2 Al.sub.2O.sub.3 S P Content) Content Feed 66.99 5.09 0.12 0.009 0.010 92.58 7.42 (Iron Ore Concentrate Sample 4) Product 71.61 0.69 trace trace <0.005 99.01 0.99 (SPIOP (Fe = (Al.sub.2O.sub.3< (S < 0.01) (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 = Sample 4) 71.39) 0.02) 98.66) (Mn = (MnO.sub.2 = 0.22) 0.35) Percentage 86.44 86.66 of Impurity Removal Flowsheet Feed (magnetite concentrate)-Grinding-Physical Separation-Dewatering - Drying-Product (SPIOP)

[0060] Table 4 displays that, for the iron ore concentrate (hematite) sample 4, the impurities elements (e.g., SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, S, P, etc.) were almost completely removed (decreased to trace). The total impurities content in the sample 4 were lowered to 0.99% from 7.42%, which means 86.66% impurities were removed before entering into the steelmaking furnace. The iron ore concentrate sample 4 was purified from 92.58% to 99.01% to make the SPIOP product. The element manganese (Mn) is a useful element in the steel product.

[0061] The testing results of H.sub.2 steelmaking steps of the process of the present application using the SPIOP products produced from samples 1-4 are shown in Tables 5-8, respectively. The steel production process for the examples of Tables 5-8 is a one-step process that did not use coke, coal, limestone, bentonite, or oxygen-only SPIOP, H.sub.2 and electricity. The steelmaking process also emitted zero carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2).

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 The Chemical Composition of The Product of Green Steelmaking Testing 5 (Wt %) Total Name Impurities (Testing 5) Total Fe Si Al S P Purity content Feed 69.49 0.10 0.08 0.028 0.019 99.27 0.73 (SPIOP (SiO.sub.2 = (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 = (Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 Sample 1) 0.21) 0.15) Content) Product 99.57 0.009 0.007 0.015 0.007 99.57 0.43 (Low-Carbon (Fe Steel 1) Content) or (H2 Green Steel 1) Flowsheet Feed(SPIOP)-H.sub.2 Tube Furnace-Product (Low-Carbon Steel)

[0062] Table 5 shows an analysis of the steel produced from the SPIOP of sample 1. The content of impurities elements (e.g. Si, Al, S, P) in the steel is very low (in the level of ppm). The total impurities content is 0.43%, which may contain gas components (e.g. O.sub.2, H.sub.2, N.sub.2, Ar). The total iron content is 99.57%.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 The Chemical Composition of The Product of Green Steelmaking Testing 6 (Wt %) Total Name Impurities (Testing 6) Total Fe Si Al S P Purity content Feed 71.72 0.18 0.06 0.012 0.012 99.06 0.94 (SPIOP (SiO.sub.2 = (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 = (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 Sample 2) 0.38) 0.11) Content) Product 99.01 0.07 0.005 0.012 0.005 99.01 0.99 (Low-Carbon (Fe Steel 2) Content) or (H2 Green Steel 2) Flowsheet Feed(SPIOP)-H.sub.2 Tube Furnace-Product(Low-Carbon Steel)

[0063] Table 6 shows an analysis of the steel produced from the SPIOP of sample 2. The content of impurities elements (e.g., Si, Al, S, P) in the steel is very low (in the level of ppm). The total impurities content is 0.99%, which may contain gas components (e.g. O.sub.2, H.sub.2, N.sub.2, Ar). The total iron content is 99.01%.

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 The Chemical Composition of The Product of Green Steelmaking Testing 7 (Wt %) Total Name Impurities (Testing 7) Total Fe Si Al S P Purity content Feed 71.43 0.54 trace trace <0.005 98.71 1.29 (SPIOP (SiO.sub.2 = (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 < (S < (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 Sample 3) 1.16) 0.02) 0.01%) Content) Product 99.31 0.11 <0.005 0.004 <0.005 99.31 0.69 (Low-Carbon (Fe Steel 3) Content) or (H.sub.2 Green Steel 3) Flowsheet Feed(SPIOP)-H.sub.2 Tube Furnace-Product(Low-Carbon Steel)

[0064] Table 7 shows an analysis of the steel produced from the SPIOP of sample 3. The content of impurities elements (e.g., Si, Al, S, P) in the steel is very low (in the level of ppm). The silicon (Si) content is 0.11%. The total impurities content is 0.69%, which may contain gas components (e.g. O.sub.2, H.sub.2, N.sub.2, Ar). The total iron content is 99.31%.

TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 The Chemical Composition of The Product of Green Steelmaking Testing 8 (Wt %) Total Name Total Impurities (Testing 8) (Fe + Mn) Si Al S P Purity content Feed 71.61 0.32 trace trace <0.005 99.01 0.99 (SPIOP (71.39 + (SiO.sub.2 = (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 < (S < (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 = Sample 4) 0.22) 0.69) 0.02) 0.01) 98.66) (MnO.sub.2 = 0.35) Product 99.10 0.13 0.018 0.004 <0.005 99.10 0.90 (Low-Carbon (98.92+ (Fe = Steel 4) 0.18) 98.92) or (H.sub.2 Green (Mn = Steel 4) 0.18) Flowsheet Feed(SPIOP)-H.sub.2 Tube Furnace-Product (Low-Carbon Steel)

[0065] Table 8 shows an analysis of the steel produced from the SPIOP of sample 4. The content of impurities elements (e.g., Si, Al, S, P) in the steel is very low (in the level of ppm). The silicon content is 0.13%. The total impurities content is 0.43%, which may contain gas components (e.g. O.sub.2, H.sub.2, N.sub.2, Ar). The total iron content is 99.10%.

[0066] Table 9 shows the comparison of the chemical composition of the steel products of Tables 5-8 and related iron & steel products.

TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 The Comparison of Chemical Composition of related Iron and Steel Products (%) Product Name Total Fe C Si Mn P S Testing 5 99.57 trace 0.009 trace 0.015 0.007 (H.sub.2 Green Steel 1) Testing 6 99.01 trace 0.07 trace 0.012 0.005 (H.sub.2Green Steel 2) Testing 7 99.31 trace 0.11 trace 0.004 <0.005 (H.sub.2 Green Steel 3) Testing 8 98.92 trace 0.13 0.18 0.004 <0.005 (H.sub.2 Green Steel 4) Typical DRI 90.0~94.0 0.8~2.5 2.8~6.0 0.005~0.09 0.001~0.03 (83~89 (Gangue) Metallic Iron) (6.5~9.0 Iron Oxide) Typical Pig 92.0 3.0~4.0 0.5~3.0 0.5~6.0 0.1~2.0 0.01~0.05 Iron Typical Low- ~99.0 <0.20 <0.55 <1.60 <0.035 <0.035 Carbon Steel (DIN17100/ EN10025)

[0067] As shown in Table 9, in comparison with typical DRI/sponge iron, which contains approximately 6.5-9.0% iron oxide, approximately 2.8-6.0% gangue, and approximately 0.8-2.5% carbon, the steel products of the present examples have much lower gangue content, much lower iron oxide content, much lower carbon content, and much higher iron content. Similarly, in comparison with typical pig iron, which contains approximately 0.5-6.0% manganese (Mn), approximately 0.5-3.0% gangue, and approximately 3.0-4.0% carbon, the steel products of the present examples have much lower gangue content, much lower manganese content, much lower carbon content, and much higher iron content. Further, in comparison with other low-carbon steel, which contains 00.20% carbon, steel products of the present examples, which are produced via a green process, have lower or similar impurities, and thus similar chemical compositions.

[0068] It is to be understood that not all components and/or steps described and illustrated with reference to the figures are required for all embodiments or arrangements. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms including, comprising, or having, containing, involving, and variations thereof herein, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0069] It should be noted that use of ordinal terms such as first, second, third, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

[0070] Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure to a single implementation, as other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present disclosure can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present disclosure are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the disclosure. In the present specification, an implementation showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other implementations including a plurality of the same component, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present disclosure encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.

[0071] The foregoing description of the specific implementations will so fully reveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific implementations, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed implementations, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s). It is to be understood that dimensions discussed or shown are drawings according to one example and other dimensions can be used without departing from the disclosure.

[0072] The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes can be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention encompassed by the present disclosure, which is defined by the set of recitations in the following claims and by structures and functions or steps which are equivalent to these recitations.