Clean Carbon Steelmaking: Evaluating the Replacement of Mineral Coal with Malt Biochar in Iron Ore Pelletization
摘要
Replacing mineral coal with biochar from malt bagasse is an alternative to reduce the impact of CO2 emissions and the greenhouse effect in the steel industry. One process in which this biochar can be used is in the pelletization of iron ore, which consists of using ore fines, with coal and additives, to obtain a product that can be used in blast furnaces. In the performance of pellets with partial replacement of coal with malt biochar, the variables in the pellet production were: binary basicity (CaO/SiO2), fixed carbon, and coal substitution. The green pellets were subjected to the drop test (2.7–4 drops), the burnt pellets were tested for their drumming index (1.61–17.33 wt.%), porosity (23.7–39.6%), and mechanical resistance to compression (31.3–299.4 kgf). This route is a promising alternative to reduce the impact of the steel industry on the greenhouse effect by reducing the use of coal and malt waste valorization.