Steel plays a significant role in our lives and economy. Its numerous applications and low cost make it one of the most widely produced materials in the world; the U.S. alone produces approximately 80 million metric tons annually. At the global level, by some estimates steel and iron production contribute to 7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions (3.5 billion tons CO₂ in 2016).

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $19 million in funding over four years for DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory to lead the multi-institutional Center for Steel Electrification by Electrosynthesis (C-STEEL). The goal of the center is to maintain the current production rate of steel while reducing its environmental impact by replacing the blast furnace with a process called electrodeposition.

“Iron reduction, from ores to iron for the steel-making process, is by far the highest carbon emission process of steelmaking, where most heat in this process is supplied by burning fossil fuels in furnaces. If we could instead extract forms of recycled heat from other processes, such as nuclear reactors and solar power, we would decrease carbon emissions by eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels.” — Brian Ingram, C-STEEL director 

Brian Ingram is the C-STEEL director, as well as an Argonne group leader and materials scientist. In his previous work, Ingram led the investigation of magnesium and calcium batteries in the Argonne-led Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), and he will apply the knowledge gained from battery electrolytes to an electrodeposition steel-making process that could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 85%.

Ingram recently took time to discuss the vision for C-STEEL and where it will lead the steel industry.

Q: Can you provide a brief overview of C-STEEL? 

A: C-STEEL is one of DOE’s new Energy Earthshot Research Centers where we are looking at the fundamental science of producing iron without the need for high industrial heat input. Typically, steel is produced from iron ore through blast furnaces at extremely high temperatures using coke, which is a carbon source that ends up polluting the air with carbon dioxide.

Our approach is to look at the fundamental science that limits the sort of low-energy input conversion of iron ores to iron metal for steel making. We are also aiming to make sure the center’s discoveries will lead to eventual practical applications.

Q: How did the idea for C-STEEL come about? 

A: C-STEEL grew out of work we had done under the JCESR program, where we began to look at the kinetic control of electrodeposition of other metals. We developed ideas that we thought would be expandable to iron. Simultaneously, researchers in our Chemical and Fuel Cycle Technologies division at Argonne were working on electrochemical separations of metals with molten salt electrolytes and saw how that technology could also be applied to the iron case.  

We pulled those two ideas together in a single program to understand the fundamentals of iron and metal electrodeposition as well as its possible uses.

Q: What motivated the establishment of C-STEEL? 

A: It was the recognition that our program tackled two issues that the Earthshot was trying to fix. The first is reducing industrial heat by lowering the input requirements of heat for the industrial process. The second is the decarbonization of industrial sectors. Our ideas were aligned with the long-range goals that the DOE was establishing, and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to put together a new program.

Q: Could you explain how the electrodeposition process works? 

A: In a battery, a system we’re all aware of, electrical energy is released from a controlled chemical reaction that occurs across a positive and negative electrode separated by a liquid called an electrolyte. Electrodeposition is the opposite — the chemical forms on the electrode and is a process that uses electricity to drive a chemical reaction to efficiently convert a material from one state to a final desirable state. In the case of steel production, iron is extracted from the ground in the form of an oxide (ore). What we propose to do is dissolve the ore in the electrolyte and then use electricity to deposit the iron on an electrode. Traditionally, iron ore is converted to a pure metal with very high temperatures and a sacrificial carbon source (coke), which emits significant quantities of carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This process uses fossil fuel as a source for energy. We are proposing to utilize renewable energy sources for electricity to do the same job — with significantly less or no emissions — by electrodeposition.

Q: What challenges is C-STEEL facing in developing this new steelmaking process?

A: There are two kinds of challenges.

The first is there are several competitive reactions. For example, we want iron metal as our final product. But particularly in an aqueous case, such as when using a water solution, water reduction — forming hydrogen gas — is a competitive reaction that often occurs in place of the desired reaction.

The other challenge is that when iron is in its oxidized form, it has multiple oxidization states, and managing those oxidized states as the material is converted to the metallic state can be challenging. We call these parasitic reactions, and it can be difficult to isolate the reaction you’re looking for.

Q: Are any industrial firms working with C-STEEL?

A: Since C-STEEL is focused on basic science, funded by the DOE Office of Science, our mission is not to provide a product or specific process but rather the underlying knowledge that will grow into a process that can be used.

We are building the relationships that we want to have with steel companies. Our advisory board is composed of people from various backgrounds, including the steelmaking industry. We are hoping that by working closely with steel manufacturers, we will fill the gaps in fundamental knowledge that holds back the development and implementation of iron and steel electrosynthesis — and lead to the most impactful breakthroughs.

Q: What environmental benefits could result from C-STEEL research?

A: Iron reduction, from ores to iron for the steel-making process, is by far the highest carbon emission process of steelmaking. Most heat in this process is supplied by burning fossil fuels in furnaces. If we could instead extract forms of recycled heat from other processes, such as nuclear reactors and solar power, we would decrease carbon emissions by eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels.

The key is also to partner with clean and renewable energy sources for the electricity we would require for the electrodeposition process.

Q: What organizations are partnering with Argonne on C-STEEL?

A: Our partners include DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Case Western Reserve University, Northern Illinois University, Purdue University Northwest and the University of Illinois Chicago. Drawing from those organizations, we’ve assembled an exciting team composed of experimental and computational material scientists and chemists, as well as electrochemical, machine learning and AI experts.

Q: Are there specific goals or targets set under the DOE’s Industrial Heat Energy Earthshot initiative that C-STEEL aims to achieve?

A: The Earthshot initiative’s goal is an 85% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. The Office of Science supports this goal by funding fundamental research that opens technological pathways currently not available. C-STEEL’s mission is to investigate the fundamental relationships and to design the molecular environment of iron in liquids for effective electrosynthesis. We believe that if we were to solve the science challenges and gaps in knowledge for this process, we could provide a pathway to achieve the Earthshot goal.

Q: How might the success of C-STEEL impact the U.S. economically?

A: It opens an opportunity for the steel industry to access different processes. For example, I grew up in an area — Clairton, Pennsylvania — that has the U.S.‘s largest coke plant. These factories are aging. My grandfather was a physician for the coke plant in the ​’50s and ​’60s, and much of the machinery in the plant still pre-dates him by quite a bit. These are very old functioning systems, but they will eventually reach the point where they are obsolete.

New processes like the one we are working on will give the steel industry different options to think about for the future. As equipment and facilities age, they can look at new processes, but with the knowledge of environmental stewardship.

We realize that steel furnaces will not be replaced overnight, but we are providing a selection of options for the steel industry that update their processes and, in the long run, benefit them economically.

Q: What steps are being taken to ensure participation by a diverse community?

A: Through a specific and targeted extension, we aim to pull from a wide range of backgrounds and education. We have developed different opportunities to target three talent pools: current talent, burgeoning talent and the next generation of talent.

Currently, we put in place an effort to diversify our hiring. We are extending our talent pool and reaching out as a group across different universities and institutions.

We are putting into place a mentoring program, particularly with our university partners, to be able to provide access to the labs, so students can come in and experience what we have to offer.

We are also focusing on exciting the next generation of scientists. There is funding for summer internships specifically for college-level students so they will be involved with research and projects that have practical implications.