Japan’s largest public management institution promoting research and development, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), has recently adopted as consignment projects two research and development (R&D) assignments related a new process that uses carbon dioxide from the coal-consuming industries to produce valuable resources.
The projects, proposed by Japanese steel major JFE Steel Corporation, are geared towards the development of technology for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and putting it into practical use. The world’s 14th-largest steelmaker by volume, JFE produced over 24 mn t of crude steel in 2020, as per worldsteel data.
Methanol synthesis
JFE plans to develop a carbon dioxide utilisation process that synthesises methanol, a basic chemical, from carbon dioxide contained in the exhaust gases of steelworks. Blast furnace gas has a relatively high carbon dioxide concentration and contains carbon monoxide and hydrogen as secondary components. By making maximum use of these, JFE aims to reduce the cost and efficiency of methanol synthesis.
The steelmaker is developing technology for a low-cost carbon dioxide separation method using the pressure swing absorption method (PSA) and an H2O membrane separation reactor capable of efficient methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide.
H2O methanol synthesis is performed while separating and removing the reaction-generated water generated during the synthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide using a specific zeolite membrane with selective permeability. This is a new type of methanol synthesis reactor that can obtain high reaction efficiency.
Carbon dioxide fixing on slag
The second project proposed by JFE which has been adopted by NEDO is the development of an innovative carbon dioxide fixing technology by high-speed mass carbonation of steelmaking slag.
By injecting carbon dioxide emitted from the coal-utilising industries into the high-temperature steelmaking slag produced as a by-product of steel production, a large amount of carbon dioxide is fixed to the calcium oxide component in the slag in a short time to form chlorides.
At the same time, carbon dioxide increases energy efficiency by recovering the heat of the gas after slag immobilisation. Carbonated steel slag is used for building roads and is in high demand.
2050 target
JFE is developing high-speed mass carbonisation technology for steelmaking slag and heat recovery technology. Side by side, the company is also working on the development of solidification / hot crushing technology for molten steel slag.
The steel major will jointly work on the projects with the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Global Environment (RITE). JFE has positioned climate change response as the most important management issue and is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
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