| Abstract Scope |
Hydrogen-based direct reduction is emerging as a pivotal strategy for green steel production. In this process, the electric arc furnace (EAF) is employed to melt direct reduced iron (DRI), facilitating the separation of slag and steel in the melt after reduction. This is a critical step to ensure the cleanliness and quality of the steel product. However, the DRI-EAF steelmaking route primarily relies on the high-quality iron-based minerals, and there remains to the limited understanding regarding the melting behavior of medium- and low-quality iron minerals. This study investigates the in-situ observation of the melting behavior of DRI pellets of varying grades using high temperature confocal laser scanning microscope (HT-CLSM). Multi-scale characterization techniques were employed to analyze the migration behaviors of interstitial elements, including oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, during the melting process, thus enhancing the knowledge of slag-metal separation mechanisms in DRI from different grades of iron ore. |