Time-efficient method for the kinetic characterization of iron ore feedstocks for H2-based direct reduction

H₂-based direct reduction of iron ore is a promising opportunity to mitigate process-related CO₂ emissions in the steel industry. However, efficient operation of the direct reduction plant is crucial for the transformation process, since green H₂ remains scarce and expensive. A prerequisite for a competitive process design and operation strategy is a deep understanding of the underlying kinetics. For this purpose, a fast and detailed characterization of the reduction behavior of the applied iron ore feedstocks is of major importance. Within this paper a time-efficient set-up for experimental investigations as well as a related model-based determination of kinetic parameters, including the evaluation of five different iron ore feedstocks in the range of T = 873–1273 K and p = 1.01325 ∙ 10⁵–6.0 ∙ 10⁵ Pa, are presented. The applied data for the study is based on 233 single particle reduction experiments. The derived results highlight the advantage of time-efficient feedstock evaluation in order to optimize plant operating parameters with regards to the applied iron ore.