About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Fundamentals of Sustainable Metallurgy and Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Design and Scale-up Analysis of a 3D Rotating Cathode Flow Electrolysis Cell for Sustainable Iron Production |
| Author(s) |
Omid Mahdavi, Adam Powell, Atharva Pandhare, Yan Wang |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Omid Mahdavi |
| Abstract Scope |
The ironmaking industry is among the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, motivating low-carbon alternatives to conventional methods. Sustainable flow electrolysis processes for producing high-purity iron from Fe₂O₃-rich metallurgical byproducts at 100°C were proposed, using a three-dimensional cathode architecture that achieves cathode current densities roughly an order of magnitude higher than competing electrochemical processes. However, the optimal operating conditions and cell configurations for economically viable scale-up remain unsolved. To address this, 2D and 3D finite element models were developed for a low-temperature electrolysis cell with a porous rotating cathode and dual high-conductivity anodes to study current density distributions within the cell. Simulation results were validated against experimental data, with agreements and discrepancies analyzed and discussed. Various cell designs and parameters were studied to identify configurations yielding the highest current density and total current. Finally, an enlarged design and industry-scale setup are proposed for higher production rates. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Electrometallurgy, Iron and Steel, Modeling and Simulation |