Research Projects

The research aims to study the interaction between hydrogen gas and refractories to assess its impact on refractory properties during high-temperature processes. The iron and steel industry contributes to 7 to 9% of total anthropogenic COx emissions. The study aims to design experimental procedures and optimize experimental conditions to study the direct reduction of iron through hydrogen. The main experiments will include a complete physical, mineralogical, mechanical, and thermo-mechanical characterisation of the alumina-silicate refractory product, interaction of hydrogen with different oxides in powder form at high temperatures, interaction of hydrogen with bulk refractory in controlled atmosphere furnaces, interaction of hydrogen with bulk refractory in the presence of iron ore, and identification of suitable refractory composition for direct reduction of iron by hydrogen. The success of this project will help establish an experimental protocol and develop refractory for future applications in iron making. The research aims to mitigate the environmental problems with COx and contribute to sustainable development in the iron and steel industries.