| Abstract Scope |
Ferroalloys can be classified as major or bulk ferroalloys, which are produced in large quantities, and minor ferroalloys produced in smaller quantities but of high importance. The major ferroalloys are ferromanganese (FeMn), silicomanganese (SiMn), ferrochromium (FeCr), ferrosilicon (FeSi), and ferronickel (FeNi). These alloys are mainly used in carbon and/or stainless steelmaking. Apart from FeNi, production of these alloys are based on endothermic, carbothermic reduction processes and electric furnace technology primarily. Therefore, the contribution of bulk ferroalloy production to CO2 emissions is significant, even more so when electricity production is also carbon-based. Bulk ferroalloy production is also associated with large slag-to-alloy ratios and recoveries of valuable elements less than 100%. In this paper, the potential use of light elements as alternative reductants in the production of major ferroalloys is explored. The elements under consideration are hydrogen, lithium, beryllium, boron carbon, sodium, and to a smaller extent calcium, potassium, magnesium, and aluminium. |