Ironmaking Using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as Reducing Agent: A Preliminary Investigation on MSW Decomposition and Ore Reduction Behavior

Abstract

The iron and steel industries currently face the depletion of high-grade ore and high CO 2 emissions. Some initiatives that effectively utilize alternative carbon sources and abundant low-grade ores become the preferable solutions. This novel study aims to utilize municipal solid waste (MSW) as a reducing agent in ironmaking using low-grade (goethite) ores. As an initial fundamental approach, the comparison of decomposition behaviors between the model and actual MSW was investigated in thermogravimetric analysis. Both model and actual MSWs mainly decompose at 300-500°C. As for reduction tests, pellets containing MSWs and ores with different pretreatments were prepared. The pellets were reduced in an Ar atmosphere at different temperatures. The effect of different ores: high-grade and low-grade ones, on the decomposition of MSW and the iron reduction, were investigated. As a result, interestingly, the low-grade, goethite ore-containing pellet exhibits a more significant reduction degree than the high-grade ones. The reduction is completed in 5 minutes at 700°C and above, indicating a significant reduction by the decomposed carbon. The reduction degree extends at elevated temperature, which reaches more than 94% at 900°C.