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China develops process to produce steel 3.600 times faster and without coal. Technique promises to revolutionize industry and advance sustainability. See how it works
For centuries, steel production has followed the same path: blast furnaces, coal, and a lot of time. The traditional process uses crushed iron ore, which is heated to over 1.300°C in furnaces fueled by coke — a byproduct of coal. This combination creates a chemical reaction that is essential to extracting iron from the ore.
But this method is costly. Steel production takes between five and six hours. It is also extremely polluting. The steel industry is responsible for about 7% to 9% of global carbon dioxide emissions. carbon, according to the World Steel Association. Now, a new technique developed in China promises to change this scenario.
Steel production in six seconds, without using coal
Professor Zhang Wenhai and his team have discovered a new method of steelmaking. The process completely eliminates the use of coal and reduces production time to just three to six seconds. That's right: seconds, not hours.
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The innovation comes from the use of ultrafine iron ore powder. This powder is injected directly into the furnace by a vortex jet. When thrown into a superheated environment, the material undergoes an almost immediate chemical reaction. The iron particles fuse into small droplets and fall to the base of the furnace, ready to be turned into steel.
Flexible and strategic for China
Another positive aspect of the technique is its specificity. It works with iron minerals of different qualities, both low and high grade. This has an important strategic impact for China.
The country currently relies on imports of high-grade ore, mainly from Australia, Brazil and African countries. With the new method, China can tap into its own reserves, which are generally of lower quality. This could reduce foreign dependence and boost domestic steel production.
Less energy, less emissions
In addition to being faster, the technique is also cleaner. By eliminating coal, the process consumes up to a third less energy. This change is in line with China's environmental goals, which aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Reducing energy use and eliminating fossil fuels makes the new method more sustainable. This innovation could also influence other sectors that depend on steel, such as construction, the automotive industry and large infrastructure projects.
Global leadership in transformation
China is already the world's largest steel producer. More than half of the world's steel comes from there. With this new technology, the country can further strengthen its leadership. But now, with an important difference: sustainability.
If the technique is successfully scaled up, it could influence other countries. The steel industry is one of the most polluting on the planet. A change on this scale could have a global impact, with other producers adopting similar practices.
The cascading effect could decouple carbon-intensive steel production. This would be a significant step towards a greener economy.
China’s advance shows that even heavy industrial sectors can change. Innovating, adapting and evolving are real possibilities when there is need and vision for the future.
Of course, turning this experiment into large-scale production will not be easy. There are economic, technical and regulatory challenges. But the discovery already opens up a new possibility. A cleaner and faster path to one of the world's most widely used materials. China, with this new technique, may be leading the way.
With information from Jason Deegan.
