About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
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| Symposium
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Fundamentals of Sustainable Metallurgy and Materials Science
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| Presentation Title |
Electro-Pyrometallurgical Removal of Copper from Molten Steel Scrap |
| Author(s) |
Jianxun Hu, Brian Sieger, Leah Hutchinson, Jianyue Zhang, Ankur Ankur, Xiaolei Guo, Alan Luo, Gerald Frankel |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jianxun Hu |
| Abstract Scope |
Copper is a critical tramp element in recycled steel scrap because its lower oxygen affinity than iron prevents removal by conventional oxidative refining. Residual Cu concentrations above ~0.1 wt% cause hot shortness and degrade the surface quality and mechanical performance of automotive steels, limiting closed-loop recycling. This study investigates copper removal from molten steel using an integrated electrochemical–pyrometallurgical process. Sulfide-based molten-salt electrolytes were designed using CALPHAD thermodynamic calculations to promote selective Cu oxidation while suppressing Fe oxidation. Electrolyte compositions were further optimized based on electronic conductivity and electrode corrosivity. Under optimized conditions, greater than 80% Cu removal was achieved within 10 min at 1600 °C without external polarization. Application of an electrochemical potential further enhances Cu oxidation kinetics and removal efficiency. This process provides a viable alternative to avoid virgin iron dilution, enabling the truly sustainable steel production of low-residual steels for automotive applications.
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| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Electrometallurgy, Recycling and Secondary Recovery, Iron and Steel |