The Swedish Energy Agency has reportedly awarded a SEK 5 million four-year research project to powder metal specialist Höganäs AB and Luleå University of Technology.
The project aims at developing knowledge of bio-coal in order to replace as much fossil coal as possible in the company’s manufacturing processes.
The research team first plans to draw up a specification for bio-coal for the two main processes at Höganäs for metal powder: the sponge iron process and the atomisation process. They will then investigate various process parameters for the production of bio-coal that meets the specifications. The third and final stage is to create a data model so that they can scale up the application more specifically in the sponge iron process. In parallel with this, Höganäs is carrying out practical trials to see how the material works on a larger scale.
‘Höganäs is a serious, active partner that really wants to convert its production system, from the current use of large volumes of fossil coal to become fossil-free,’ said Kentaro Umeki, Associate Professor at Luleå University, who is managing the project. ‘If the climate goals are to be achieved, all companies in the steel industry must do the same. The environmental impact will be one of the most important criteria when consumers choose products, and it is extremely important for us to be able to choose products that are produced using green steel.
This story is reprinted from material from Höganäs, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
