Researchers claim the method can complete the iron making process in just three to six seconds, and eliminates the need for coal entirely.
This new iron making technology, developed in China, looks set to drastically and positively impact the global steel industry. Developed after more than 10 years of research, the new 'flash iron' method injects finely ground iron ore powder into a very hot furnace, causing an “explosive chemical reaction”, that enables one-step steel-making in just a few seconds.
The method, as detailed by Professor Zhang Wenhai and his team in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nonferrous Metals, can complete the iron making process in just three to six seconds, compared to the five to six hours required by traditional blast furnaces.
This represents a 3,600-fold or more increase in speed. The new method also performs exceptionally well with low or medium-yield ores, which are plentiful in China, according to the researchers, reports the South China Morning Post.
According to Zhang and his colleagues, the new technology could improve energy use efficiency in China’s steel industry by over one-third. That is very good news as China’s steel production capacity already exceeds the combined output of the rest of the world. Better yet, by eliminating the need for coal entirely, it would help the steel industry achieve the goal of near-zero carbon dioxide emissions.