Since the advent of coke based iron production in 1709, primary iron making has relied on high-quality black coal as its reductant and heat source, requiring high-grade coal and iron ore.
Our HydroMOR process is positioned to help bridge a crucial environmental gap in iron making thanks to the design of our simple, low cost, low emission, HydroMOR retort using cheaper, alternative raw materials.
HydroMOR, which stands for ‘hydrogen-based metal oxide reduction’, comprises three exclusive facets:
- Inputs – It uses brown coal (lignite) as a reductant and heat source – no other technology can claim this
- Hydrogen – HydroMOR is dominated by a hydrogen reduction reaction, instead of the traditional carbon-based reduction reaction
- Plant Design – It employs our unique HydroMOR retort – a vertical furnace that works with the natural chemistry of brown coal
HydroMOR supersedes our previous Matmor process, which also used lignite but operated at a higher temperature range and relied upon a carbon-based reduction reaction.
The Process
HydroMOR is a unique method for producing high-quality iron from inexpensive, abundant brown coal and iron oxide bearing material such as mill scale, nickel tailings and, of course, high or low-grade iron ore.
Stage 1: Composite Pellet Production
- Using the Coldry Process, the raw materials are milled to <8mm, combined with a small amount of water, mixed and extruded
- The extruded mixture is conditioned until dry-to-the-touch
- The semi-dry pellets are conveyed into a vertical packed bed dryer, where warm air provided by waste heat is circulated through the bed of pellets, removing the evaporated moisture
- The Composite Pellets are discharged at the base of the dryer and conveyed to the HydroMOR Retort
Stage 2: HydroMOR Retort
- The Composite Pellets are charged via the top of the HydroMOR Retort
- The Retort heats the pellets in a reducing atmosphere
- As the Composite Pellets travel down the retort, various reactions take place:
- Gasification of the volatile matter in the lignite produces hydrocarbon gases
- Catalytic thermal decomposition of the hydrocarbons produces hydrogen
- Hydrogen reduces the iron oxide to iron, producing H2O or water-gas
- Reactions within the retort result in the chemical looping of hydrogen, amplifying reduction
- The reduced pellets are discharged at the base of the retort and contain carbon, iron and ash
- The reduced pellets can be cooled and stored or melted in an electric arc or induction furnace for secondary steelmaking
- The liquid metal is then cast to the desired product format
The Product
The HydroMOR Process delivers a clean iron product tailored to the size/shape and carbon content requirements of the end-user.
The HydroMOR Process delivers a clean iron product tailored to the size/shape and carbon content requirements of the end-user.
| Indicative Composition | % |
| Fe | 98% |
| C | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
The above iron was produced from the following inputs:
| Iron Ore | % Dry Basis |
| Fe | 67.42 |
| SiO2 | 2.15 |
| Ni | 0.03 |
| TiO2 | 1.02 |
| V | 0.37 |
| MgO | 2.25 |
| Al | 0.27 |
| CaO | 0.80 |
| Mn | 0.09 |
| Cu | 0.004 |
| P | 0.011 |
| S | 0.057 |
Features & Benefits
The advantages of the HydroMOR Process over traditional blast furnace iron making are:
- Replacement of expensive metallurgical coal with cheap, abundant lignite
- The opportunity to replace expensive high-grade Iron Ore (60%+Fe) with cheaper, low-grade Iron Ore
- Able to recover iron from millscale and other waste materials
- Process requires significantly less heat/energy
- Capital cost less than traditional blast furnaces for equivalent production capacity
- Recirculation of waste gases minimises emissions
- Lignite, as a reductant, is more chemically reactive than the black coal currently used in traditional primary iron production.
The advantages over alternate Iron making processes are:
- HydroMOR is the only lignite-based process
- Economic at a smaller scale
- Lower emissions
- Able to recover iron from waste streams such as millscale and nickel tailings