Biochar utilization in DRI-based EAF steelmaking

13 May 2026, 12:20
20m
Washington room (Milan Marriott Hotel)

Washington room

Milan Marriott Hotel

Oral presentation (paper for Ironmaking & Steelmaking special issue) EEC 4.B Integration of renewable energy sources in electric steelmaking Recycling, circular economy and reduction of environmental impact in steelmaking II

Speaker

Gangadharan Seenivasan

Description

Utilizing biochar in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking has become a crucial step towards reducing fossil CO2 emissions. The present research examines the interaction between V2O5 and TiO2-containing EAF slag and pinebark-derived biochars, which were pyrolyzed at two different temperatures (600 °C and 800 °C). Optical dilatometry (OD) and thermogravimetry (TG) studies, supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) characterization techniques, are utilized to elucidate the interaction. OD and TG were conducted by heating the carbonaceous material slag module at a rate of at least 10 K/min to 1500 °C in an inert atmosphere, followed by a 30-minute hold. This research focuses on understanding the following aspects of the interaction between the slag and the biochar: (1) the effect of pyrolysis temperature, (2) the effect of biochar structure, and (3) the impact of slag B2 basicity, FeO, V2O5, and TiO2 on the interaction. The preliminary results indicate that (1) the interaction between slag biochar and FeO is enhanced with an increase in slag FeO concentration and reduction in slag B2 basicity, and (2) vanadium is involved in solid solution formation with iron metallic droplets.

Speaker Company/University Luleå University of Technology
Speaker Country Sweden

Primary author

Co-authors

Anton Andersson (Luleå University of Technology) Hesham Ahmed (Lulea University of Technology) Lena Sundqvist Öqvist (Luleå University of Technology)