"Boston Metal has come up with a way of using electricity to remove oxides and other contaminants from iron ore, which is the substance you have to mine from the Earth before you can make new steel. The process involves distributing the ore within an electrolyte and then using electricity to heat this mixture to 1,600C. Molten iron then separates from impurities and can be tapped off."
"Steelmaking in the US is already greener than in many countries, thanks to the popularity of electric arc furnaces there. These furnaces use electricity, not heat from burning fossil fuels, to melt scrap steel for example and recycle it. Plus, a handful of emerging start-ups such as Boston Metal say they can go one better and use electricity for the iron-making process, a crucial step in making brand new, or virgin, steel."
A mixed-use industrial estate in Woburn, Massachusetts includes a mini experimental steel plant operating beside retail and childcare facilities. Boston Metal uses electricity to strip oxides and contaminants from iron ore by suspending ore in an electrolyte and heating the mixture to 1,600C, allowing molten iron to separate and be tapped off. Conventional iron extraction relies on blast furnaces fueled by fossil fuels. The iron and steel sector accounts for about 11% of global emissions, creating urgency to develop greener methods. US steelmaking benefits from electric arc furnaces, and start-ups aim to electrify ironmaking for virgin steel production.
Read at www.bbc.com
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