About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
2026 Technical Division Student Poster Contest
|
| Presentation Title |
SPG-65: Unraveling the Thermodynamics and Mechanism Behind the Lowering of Direct Reduction Temperatures in Oxide Mixtures |
| Author(s) |
Shiv Shankar, Barak Ratzker, Yan Ma, Dierk Raabe |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Shiv Shankar |
| Abstract Scope |
Hydrogen-based direct reduction offers a sustainable pathway to decarbonize the metal production industry. However, stable metal oxides, like Cr2O3, are notoriously difficult to reduce, requiring extremely high temperatures (above 1300 °C). Herein, we explain how reducing mixed oxides can be leveraged to lower hydrogen-based reduction temperatures of stable oxides and produce alloys in a single process. Using a newly developed thermodynamic framework, we predict the precise conditions (oxygen partial pressure, temperature, and oxide composition) needed for co-reduction. We showcase this approach by reducing Cr2O3 mixed with Fe2O3 at 1100 °C, significantly lowering reduction temperatures (by ~200 °C). Our model and post-reduction structural and chemical analyses elucidate that the temperature-lowering effect is driven by the lower chemical activity of Cr in the metallic phase. This strategy achieves low-temperature co-reduction of mixed oxides, dramatically reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, while unlocking transformative pathways toward sustainable alloy design. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |
| Keywords |
Extraction and Processing, Sustainability, Other |