Presentation Abstracts

Session 1: Advances in Low-Carbon Ironmaking

  • The HIsarna ironmaking process is a smelting reduction process under development at pilot scale at Tata Steel in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The pilot trials have reached a stage where upscaling to an industrial scale can take place.

    Over the past few years several significant upgrades were made to the pilot facility to improve operational stability and plant reliability to further explore the process window. To support the upscaling effort focus of the most recent trials has been on maximising productivity and widening the raw materials window. Work is also ongoing to minimise the total carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutral hot metal production.

    A series of successful trials at high productivity has demonstrated the required process stability and energy efficiency to justify scaling up to an industrial scale plant. The current pilot plant has a name plate annual production capacity of 65 000 tons of hot metal. A first economically viable industrial scale facility would need to increase this with a factor 15 and be able to produce around 1 million tonnes of hot metal per annum.

    Besides stable operation and a high productivity it is also important that the process can work with a range of raw materials. Throughout the trial runs a range of ore qualities, including lean ores, as well as coals and alternative carbon sources have been successfully tested. This wide raw materials window, combined with the option to either produce liquid hot metal for use in the BOF or pig iron for use in EAF steelmaking and the compact layout of the process will offer economic and strategic advantages for a sustainable steel industry.

    As the HIsarna process uses pure oxygen instead of hot blast, the process gas consists of a concentrated CO2 stream which is very suitable for CO2 capture. At the same time effort is ongoing to try and fully replace fossil carbon input with sustainable fossil free alternatives.

    This paper will discuss the latest results from the pilot plant trials, look at some of the criteria for up scaling, identify some strategic benefits the process and define the carbon footprint according to the LCA method.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The iron and steel industry is fundamental to global infrastructure but is also one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to its reliance on traditional high-temperature blast furnace processes. Currently, it is estimated that iron and steel account for roughly 8% of global CO2e emissions, therefore it is vital to find alternative low carbon steel making methods. This research explores the transformative potential of low-temperature electrolytic reduction of iron as a sustainable alternative for decarbonizing steel production.

    This innovative process employs the electrochemical reduction of iron oxides at moderate temperatures (110°C), eliminating the carbon-intensive reliance on coke and natural gas. This study focuses on advancing electrode materials to improve corrosion resistance and optimising electrolytes to enhance reduction efficiency. We systematically explore the influence of electrode grain size and feedstock particle size on efficiency and deposit morphology.  By leveraging advanced characterisation techniques, this research examines the electrode-iron interface, providing crucial insights into the interactions between iron oxide, electrolyte, electrode material, and hydrogen. These findings inform strategies to improve the efficiency and durability of the process.

    The results demonstrate the feasibility of producing high-purity iron with substantially lower energy consumption and environmental impact compared to conventional methods. By addressing critical technological challenges, this work supports the urgent need for cleaner, more efficient steelmaking processes.

    View the full abstract here.

  • There are multiple technologies for decarbonised ironmaking. One credible route, developed as part of the recently concluded SIDERWIN project [1], is aqueous alkaline electrolysis of iron ores. The fundamental chemistry has now been proven and its development across multiple sectors, from pilots at major steelmakers [2] to iron-air battery providers [3] and metal-air fuel developers [4] continues. It has the potential to produce iron at 3 MWhr/tonneFe, be modular and require the least capital expenditure per plant, making it a promising green ironmaking technology that could achieve cost parity with pig iron from a blast furnace. Barriers remain to its commercial adoption however, including 1) low Fe productivity from a large footprint cell and 2) reduced iron production efficiency (e.g. <70% Faradaic efficiency at <500 A/m2 cathode current efficiencies) when deployed with high gangue content ores, mine tailings and adjacent process waste (e.g. red-mud from Al’s Bayer process [5])

    A newly incorporated UK-venture, Ironic’s mission is to solve these challenges. Its objectives are to firstly re-engineer the electrolysis cell to achieve an iron production cost at parity with a blast furnace. Second, to improve compatibility of the technology with low-grade iron ores, since limited supply of higher-grade will throttle green-iron production, through the development of compelling pre-processing steps.

    In this work, two proof of concept electrolysis cells, specifically designed to work with alkaline slurries of iron oxide were built and tested with real iron ores. The first cell was used to explore the fundamental electrochemical reactions at play through cyclic voltammetry and to also optimise processing conditions. We demonstrate that good (>70%) Faradaic efficiency is maintained at lower than state-of-the-art electrolyte concentrations and temperature. We also demonstrate higher productivity and an 85% of MWhr/ tonne Fe energy usage with the new cell design when compared to the industrial parallel-plate cells.

    In tandem, WMG characterised the iron-ores and electrolysis products used for this project using XRD, DSC-TG, SEM-EDS and ICP-OES. Initial electrolysis product results are that of a powder-like fine with an iron purity of >90% (measured using EDS). Work has now progressed towards an initial caustic leaching trials to form the basis for a low-grade (i.e. high gangue content) ores.

    Combining both work-streams will enable a solid technical foundation on which prove Ironic’s cell concept, unlocking a credible scaling pathway towards green ironmaking.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Direct reduction (DR) of iron ore represents a route to iron production with lower carbon dioxide emissions than the traditional blast furnace route. High-purity iron produced using ores via DR can be charged into electric arc furnaces (EAF). This enables the EAF to produce steel grades that are difficult to produce from scrap metal. Cold agglomeration technologies offer an opportunity to further decarbonise by eliminating the requirement for high temperatures in the production of DR pellet feedstock. Iron ore fines can be agglomerated into DR pellets using chemical binders cured at low temperatures rather than indurating at temperatures of approximately 1400 °C. However, reducing carbon dioxide in the DR pellet supply chain is not the only advantage of cold agglomeration, further efficiencies in the reduction of iron ore to metallic iron have been observed for cold bonded pellets. This paper presents the progress made by Binding Solutions Ltd. in the development of cold bonded iron ore pellets for DR applications.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The traditional ironmaking industry is responsible for 7 - 9% of global CO₂ emissions, posing a major challenge to achieving global carbon reduction targets. To address this problem, advanced net-zero carbon technologies, such as hydrogen-based reduction of iron ores, have been proposed as viable alternatives to conventional ironmaking, with the potential to achieve near-zero carbon emissions. However, the widespread adoption of hydrogen reduction faces significant challenges, particularly the high costs and safety risks associated with hydrogen transportation and storage.

    Ammonia offers several advantages over hydrogen: it is an efficient hydrogen carrier containing 17.6 wt.% hydrogen; it can be liquefied at -33°C (much higher than hydrogen’s -253°C) at ambient pressure; it can be readily produced at large scale using existing industrial infrastructure; the cost of ammonia transportation and storage is only one twentieth of hydrogen. Therefore, ammonia-based reduction of iron ores represents a promising zero-carbon pathway for green steel production, capable of mitigating CO₂ emissions from traditional steelmaking with reduced logistic burdens.

    Despite its potential, the physicochemical behaviour of ammonia reduction in shaft furnaces, such as mass/heat transfer and the reaction mechanisms, remains insufficiently understood. Few studies have reported process modelling of this system. This work aims to develop a good understanding of the ammonia reduction process through model construction and simulation, providing insights into process optimization and reactor design.

    A one-dimensional plug-flow model combined with a grain model was established to describe the reduction process in an industrial-scale counter-current gas–solid shaft furnace. The model considered the complex reaction mechanism for ammonia reduction, including: direct ammonia reduction, ammonia decomposition to hydrogen, hydrogen reduction, and iron nitridation.

    A comparative study of ammonia and hydrogen reduction under identical conditions (gas inlet temperature of 924°C and solid temperature of 30°C) in an industrial scale shaft furnace showed that ammonia reduction requires more heat input than hydrogen reduction. Furthermore, inert nitrogen gas is generated during ammonia reduction, which can accumulate in the system during gas recycling. To ensure stable operation and efficient ammonia utilization, a gas recycling strategy was developed in which part of the outlet gas is purged and water is removed before mixing with fresh ammonia and re-feeding it into the furnace. Simulations confirmed that this approach enables stable gas recycling without nitrogen accumulation, improving overall energy utilization. Effects of furnace height, solid velocity, gas inlet temperature and gas flowrate on metallisation ratio and ammonia utilisation ratio have been investigated in this work.

    The results indicate that ammonia reduction of iron ore is a strongly endothermic process that requires effective heat management. The metallisation ratio can exceed 94%. While iron nitridation affects metallisation and product quality with nitridation ratio of about 5 - 10% under identical conditions, its impact on the gas and solid temperature profiles is minimal less than 0.5%. These findings enhance our understanding of ammonia-based reduction and provide valuable guidance for the design and optimization of industrial-scale green steelmaking processes.

     View the full abstract here.

Session 2: Resource Flows & Secondary Materials in Steelmaking

  • Decarbonising steel production is central to the UK’s net zero strategy, with policy and industry roadmaps increasingly favouring electric arc furnace (EAF) routs based on high scrap utilisation. Current roadmap, however, focus on scrap availability while neglecting its carriable chemical composition-a major determinant of process efficiency and emissions. However, most life cycle assessment models implicitly treat scrap as homogeneous and chemically neutral feedstock. This approach ignores a fundamental system constraint: the chemical incompatibility between available scrap and required steel products.

    This study presents a scenario-explicit material flow and life cycle assessment that quantifies how tramp element limits (Cu, Sn, Ni) and nitrogen specifications for different steel grades govern the UK’s steel-sector emissions in the net-zero transition. We model a suite of production pathways that combine varying scrap qualities with iron ore inputs to meet the specific chemical demands of construction, automotive, and packaging steel outputs. We conclude that the carbon intensity of the UK steel is not only a choice of technology alone but a function of material chemistry alignment. Our scenario-based framework provides the quantitative foundation for a chemistry-informed UK steel strategy, enabling policymakers and producers to navigate the critical trade-offs between scrap quality, product mix, and decarbonisation targets.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Life cycle assessment has been carried out to assess the environmental impact of 64 different casts belonging to 3 different speciality grade steel alloys. Impacts are calculated for a comprehensive range of impact categories of ReCiPe (H) method, with the emphasis on the climate change impacts. The assessment is carried out to determine the main environmental impact contributions from the steel production process with a focus on the impacts of ferroalloy additions, specifically, the ferroalloys of chromium, nickel and molybdenum. To that purpose, a comparison is made between the low-impact and high-impact casts of each of the steel grades. Impacts are also calculated for different allocation approaches, i.e., alternative delimitation of system boundaries between upstream steel production that influences the environmental burdens of the steel scrap.

    Results show significant share of ferroalloys on the overall impacts in the production of the steel, i.e., 60-80% depending on the grade and the allocation approach. On average for each grade, 1 tonne of steel production generates 0.9 tonne, 1.85 tonne and 2.37 tonne of CO2 equivalent emissions. The choice of allocation shows significant effect on the share of contribution of steel scrap, from few percent in the baseline cut-off scenario to up to 30% in the allocation scenario. Comparison between the high-impact and low-impact casts show that the choice of ferroalloys has a considerable effect on the results – e.g., impacts could differ markedly for the equal rate of alloying element inputs, owing to the choice of ferroalloys. The relationship between the use of scrap and ferroalloys is discussed in view of the results and potential for impact mitigation.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Global crude steel production in 2024 was 1,885 Mt (million tonnes), with 70.4% produced through the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route and 29.1% via the electric arc furnace (EAF) route. CO2 emissions from the BF-BOF route vary from 1.8 to 2.4 tonnes per tonne steel depending on the region/country, whereas the scrap-based EAF steelmaking route can generate as little as 0.1 tonne CO2 per tonne steel if renewable energy is used. The global steel industry is undergoing a significant transition to reduce CO2 emissions, with several technologies being developed, trialled and commercialised at different scales, including scrap-based EAF route, hydrogen direct reduced iron (HDRI)-EAF route, and iron ore electrolysis route. The scrap-based EAF route is attractive because of its several advantages such as its proven capability at industry scale and scrap availability. World Steel Association estimates that the global end-of-life steel availability will reach about 600 Mt in 2030 and 900 Mt in 2050. The UK generates around 11 Mt steel scrap annually, exceeding its crude steel production of about 5.5 Mt per year.

    Accordingly, the role of scrap in steel manufacturing has been evolving from serving primarily as a coolant in the BF-BOF route to becoming the main metallic raw materials in the EAF route for producing some high-quality steels that are traditionally produced via the BF-BOF route. Consequently, the scrap system must be redesigned to align with the evolving steel manufacturing processes. Here, the scrap system refers to scrap generation and processing, standards and specification, quality assurance, usage, and supply across the scrap value chain.

    This talk will report a wide range of research activities undertaken by the authors to support the redesigning of the scrap system. We will first examine various scrap standards and specifications and recommend improvements. The scrap quality and value could be significantly increased by following the circular economy principles during scrap generation and processing. One example to demonstrate is the automated disassembly of the end-of-life e-machines (compared to the shredding of the current practice), enabling effective recovery of steels, aluminium and critical minerals and avoidance of contamination to scrap, as e-machine is a major contaminant in the shredded scraps (‘meatballs’). The talk will also showcase the development of a faster, smarter and more robust computer vision system, powered by a unique machine unlearning framework, for specific object identification and quality assurance for scrap. In terms of scrap usage in steelmaking, research is ongoing to optimise the scrap usage in combination with OBMs (ore based metallics) considering steel chemistry, cost and environmental impacts. The talk will also discuss scrap supply chain innovation fit for the evolving steel manufacturing processes.

    The research is primarily supported by EPSRC SUSTAIN Manufacturing Hub, EPSRC CircularMetal Programme, Innovate UK/HVMC RECYCEM programme, WMG HVMC-TSUK Strategic Programme, EPSRC standard grant Viability and EPSRC Manufacturing Fellowship.

    View the full abstract here.

  • End-of-life vehicle (ELV) recyclability is a challenge for both the automotive sector and circular steelmaking. Circular steelmaking depends on high-quality domestic scrap, yet ELV-derived ferrous scrap often contains residual elements such as copper, nickel and tin that accumulate during repeated recycling cycles. Improving source separation of contaminant-bearing components and enabling selective reuse or remanufacture before shredding is therefore essential for controlling residuals within the iron cycle. This is particularly important as the UK transitions from basic oxygen furnace production to scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace routes.

    At end of life, vehicles are processed at Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATF) where fluids are removed, reusable parts are recovered, and hulks are prepared for shredding. Removal choices vary with commercial priorities, operator experience, and the diversity of vehicle models. Under time pressure, workers frequently struggle to locate components that contain tramp elements in significant quantities. This study examines whether Augmented Reality (AR) guidance can support more consistent removal of these components, thereby improving the quality and chemistry of ELV scrap. The work sits within SUSTAIN’s e-RAMS (Engineering Rapid Automotive Materials Sustainability) programme on managing nickel and tin accumulation in recycled steel.

    Prior studies show that AR work instructions can reduce cognitive workload, shorten task times and lower error rates in industrial settings. Building on this, we present a human-centred AR guidance system designed for manual dismantling at ATFs. Using a Meta Quest 3 headset, virtual cues and work instructions are overlaid onto the workstation while keeping the operator’s hands free. For dismantling tasks, the system provides step-by-step guidance, highlights fasteners, indicates safe tool paths and reinforces depollution and safety checks. We have developed the prototype AR application for the Meta Quest 3 that guides operators through a 30-minute session of removing two components: the coil pack and the wiper motor. These two assemblies were selected to keep risk low while preserving representative disassembly actions seen at ATFs. The study adopts a betweensubjects design with a planned sample of 30 participants, who will complete dismantling tasks either with AR guidance or using traditional 2D instructions. Ethical approval was obtained, the AR workflow has been piloted, and participant recruitment is underway. Experimental trials will include subjective questionnaires (perceived workload and technology acceptance) and objective performance measures (task time, error rates, rework, safety-relevant deviations) collected for both conditions. Planned analyses will directly compare the AR and traditional 2D instruction groups to determine whether AR provides measurable improvements in dismantling accuracy, operator consistency and overall task performance.

    The expected contribution is evidence on whether AR guidance can improve the consistency of source-separation for residual-bearing components, supporting higher value EAF-ready scrap and contributing to SUSTAIN theme on the iron cycle. Following this initial trial, an AR application will be designed as a modular platform, allowing additional vehicle models and component-specific workflows to be incorporated over time. This modularity enables targeted training for components that are prone to cross-contamination or particularly valuable for reuse, helping operators learn the most effective removal routes and strengthening up-skilling across diverse dismantling tasks.

    View the full abstracts here.

  • The transition of the UK steel industry from Blast Furnace ironmaking/Basic Oxygen Steelmaking to the scrap fed Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) will represent a step change in carbon dioxide emissions reduction from this heavy industry.  However, this process still results in the loss of large quantities of useful materials in the form of by-products.  Industrial scale steelmaking processes, such as the EAF, still generate large quantities of process dusts, mill scales, and oil contaminated sludges that are made up of agglomerated particulates.  Recovery of these dusts represents a significant opportunity if these can be separated into their constituents; many contain valuable critical metals such as iron, zinc, aluminium, calcium, and could potentially include rare earths as scrap compositions evolve in a society undergoing increasing electrification.

    Companies aim to reduce the production of these dusts; to recover the materials and value from the in-process arisings; and to deal with legacy stockpiles from previous Blast furnace steelmaking, and EAF steelmaking.  Processes that facilitate the recovery of these represent an opportunity to align more closely with a circular economy and to help achieve deeper decarbonisation and sustainability through the industry.

    Despite research into both pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques, this remains a stubborn material recovery challenge.  Processes are available, but often they either generate large volumes of by-products that require additional treatment steps; or require large amounts of energy/fossil fuels which generate carbon dioxide emissions.  Research presented in this paper describes dusts generated at 7Steel; their characterisation; and an outline of the technology options to recovering these by-products by linking practical processes with more detailed surface and bulk sample analyses.  This includes the reduction of oil contents of fine mill scale to use as a raw material in ferrosilicon production; the potential use of different thermal treatment/reduction techniques as an adaption of pyrometallurgical extraction with a lower energy requirement and lower capital expenditure; and chlorination techniques to separate zinc from dusts.

    View the full abstract here.

Session 3: Defossilising Steelmaking

  • While emissions from steelmaking using electric arc furnaces (EAF) have decreased, studies compiled for the European Commission indicate that the benchmark for direct CO2 emissions from EAF steelmaking is 59 kg CO2 per ton of steel, whereas the average is 102 kg CO2 per ton of steel [1]. Options for decarbonising such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and conventional Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) all require increased electricity consumption and significant investment. This will need increased investment in new technology and processes adding to the challenges for it.

    ICCU process presents a promising solution to the increasing challenges of decarbonisation because it has been recognised as a significant technique with economic advantages in carbon capture and utilisation, primarily due to its simplified operation within a single reactor [2, 3]. ICCU integrates CO2 capture with utilisation (reverse water gas shift reaction) in one reactor by applying simple and low-cost CaO/CaCO3 as both sorbent and catalyst [2]. By switching the feeding gas from the CO2 source to H2 isothermally, up to 100% of CO2 can be captured and over 75% of CO2 can be converted into CO with 100% selectivity (600-700 ºC) and the cycle performance of CaO is stable over 30 cycles.

    This research has focused the application of ICCU in steel industry, especially for the EAF. The results show promising results with high CO2 conversion into CO. From the Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, ICCU is also comparative to the CCU.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Steel production success has over-depended on fossil fuels without caring for the waste gases expelled to the atmosphere, together with the emissions of cement production and the energy sector. Now, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) has reached levels that require containment as the increased concentration has intensified the green-house effect that causes global warming and climate change, posing a risk to human existence.

    The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a gas-to-liquid process that has traditionally used carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) to produce hydrocarbon fuels. However, it can be adapted to use CO2 and with this reduce the concentration expelled to the atmosphere. Favouring this solution, in our group we can capture CO2 directly from an industrial flue and this work is the second part of two interdependent technologies that demonstrates the transformation of the collected CO2 into long chain alkenes, fatty alcohols or other products useful to all chemical using industries.

    For the first reaction we produced a catalyst, KFeMn, based on the iron oxide Fe3O4, magnetite, with potassium and manganese substitutions. After the reaction of the proportion CO2:H2 of 2:3 at 300 °C over the catalyst, we obtained a mixture of hydrocarbons. The analysis of the liquid produced, with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique, shows a distribution of linear alkenes as main product in a C3 up to C22 chain length range and 1-nonene as mode value together with lower presence of the related alkanes.

    The direct transformation to long chain alcohols C5+ is achieved using our second catalyst KFeCu and the same proportion of CO2:H2 as before. The distribution of the liquid mixture obtained shows the range in between C9 and C24 for alkenes and modal value in C14, 1-tetradecene. A second distribution was obtained in the mixture for C6 to C14 of linear alcohols with a modal value in 1-heptanol. Lastly, the related alkanes are also present in the same range as the alkenes but in lower proportion.

    The characterisation of the catalyst has been performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy XPS, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller analysis (BET) and Inductively coupled plasma (ICP).

    The main achievement of this project is the production of a catalyst that allows the scale up of the technology. Our reaction has grown from mg/month of hydrocarbon-mixture to a g/day production, and using this technology we can be optimistic to achieve the 1 ton per day challenge in the near future and pair the capture of CO2 with its utilisation.

    As added value, this technology not only responds to the ambition of the country, steel industry, and general public to achieve the net zero target but we are also contributing to security of chemical supply chains and job creation.

    View the full abstract here.

  • A series of 33 melts was undertaken at the pilot scale EAF of Materials Processing Institute to charge composite pellets into the process. These trials were funded by Innovate UK and took place in 2021 – 2022. The composite pellets were manufactured by Binding Solutions Ltd using 79% high grade Swedish magnetite, 20% high quality anthracite and 1% binder.  The most appropriate charging method was to continuously feed the screened pellet into the molten bath. The recipe comprised 5.2T scrap and 1.6T composite pellets, meaning that 14% of the total iron units came from the pellets.

    SEM imaging showed that the carbon was well dispersed within the magnetite.

    Once the charging method and pellet composition had been optimised, 12 melts were produced using similar parameters.  Good foaming slag formation was observed, and the tap N2 reduced from a typical value of 100 ppm to an average 30 ppm. This was ascribed to better insulation of the steel bath from atmospheric N2 pickup. Yield of Fe from the pellet was calculated at 93%.

    The average power penalty was 1400 kWh/t Fe in the composite pellets. This was around the value expected, due to all reduction energy being electrical.

    A typical method to produce low N2 deep drawing steel via the EAF route is to charge a high proportion of DRI/HBI, whereby the CO bubbles to foam the slag are formed by reduction of remaining FeO in the DRI. Due to the high cost of HBI imported into the UK, relative to high quality domestic scrap, the calculated cost of using composite pellets and a high proportion of scrap is predicted to be lower than using a high proportion of HBI to achieve the same tap N2.

    There is a significant reduction in total CO2 emissions relative to a the HBI route, due to the use of a much higher proportion of scrap.

    A further series of trials has been proposed, subject to funding, to further optimise the process using the MPI pilot EAF. These would aim to assess the minimum addition rate required, trial different pellet sizes, more accurately measure the energy penalty, and assess whether chemical energy can be partially used in place of electrical energy.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The ironmaking and steelmaking industry contributes 11% global carbon emissions and about 8% greenhouse emissions. The steel industry has intensified its focus towards low-carbon forms of production driven by sustainability and decarbonisation goals. Global steelmaking is currently based on electric arc furnace (EAF) 43% and coal-based blast furnace-basic oxygen furnaces (BF-BOF) 57%. EAFs are crucial for reducing CO2 emissions significantly compared to conventional blast furnace production when using recycled steel scrap or direct reduced iron (DRI) with green hydrogen, potentially achieving near-zero emissions. Global EAF steelmaking is growing significantly, driven by a key strategic shift across the industry to reduce its carbon footprint, which attracts increased investment in green technologies, as EAF is favoured for most new production capacity. However, the current pace of steel decarbonisation and sustainable technologies are not sufficient to meet the requirements to align with global 1.5oC scenarios. On the other hand, although the EAF technology is a well-established practice, but the challenges remain because of the harsh nature of the steelmaking process, which requires continuous improvements in the quality and cost-effectiveness of the production system components and service life. One of the great challenges in EAF steelmaking is the refractory failure that can potentially lead to production loss, furnace downtime and reduced process operation safety. In support of the sustainable EAF steelmaking efforts and challenges, refractory is vital and central to sustainable steelmaking by improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and cutting emissions. EAF refractories must endure extreme temperatures (up to 3000°C) and corrosive conditions, and their durability directly impacts the overall sustainability of the process. In the recent years, EAF refractories for sustainable steelmaking focus on improving material properties, optimizing furnace operations through advanced modelling, and exploring new compositions, including low-carbon and slag-based materials. These innovations aim to extend refractory life, reduce energy consumption, and minimize the environmental impact of EAF steel production.

    Traditional refractories, such as magnesia-carbon (MgO-C) bricks, use carbon as a key component; this carbon source contributes to the overall CO₂ emissions. MgO-C based refractories are widely used in EAFs due to their high refractoriness, thermal shock resistance, durability and cost-effectiveness. The demand for cleaner steel has driven the development of refractories with lower carbon content or no carbon. These materials aim to reduce CO₂ emissions and maintain high performance without contaminating the molten steel during production, while maintaining thermal shock resistance through engineered microstructures or nano-additives. This can heal pores and cracks, reduce oxidation, and improve material cohesion and strength at high temperatures. Modern EAFs, particularly ultra-high-power (UHP) units, use high-purity magnesia (MgO) or sintered magnesia monolithic ramming materials for permanent linings, which offer excellent high-temperature stability and resistance to penetration, thus extending the refractory lifespan. This paper reviews the recent developments on thermomechanical behaviour of MgO-C based EAF refractories. The failure mechanisms and strategies for optimizing MgO-C refractory design to enhance performance and extend service life are discussed.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Carbon dioxide emissions from primary manufacturing and foundation industries, such as steel, present a significant challenge for decarbonisation. Such carbon-positive sectors require the implementation of carbon-capture, utilisation and storage technologies (CCUS) to abate emissions. Yet, opportunities exist for a circular carbon economy based upon electrification and carbon recycling, thus offering an alternative to tradition oil-derivatives.1 CO2 may be ‘reduced’ in a chemical sense to produce a range of hydrocarbon products and fuels which then may be further processed or burnt as a chemical energy storage vector.2 Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (EC-CO2R) is one approach of many for CO2 recycling, but the application of direct renewable energy is particularly attractive for avoiding compounding inefficiencies and because of additional benefits such as grid stabilisation.3 Indeed, electrolysis is often favoured in industry because of scalable electrolysers and the operation at benign conditions: aqueous electrolyte and mundane conditions.4 Despite this promise, EC-CO2R remains essentially a laboratory endeavour and few attempts at pilot-scale demonstration have been documented. This presentation will provide a technological overview and highlight the persisting issues that keep EC-CO2R at low technology readiness levels. In particular, the presentation will discuss the fundamental chemistry, engineering and economic challenges that hinder progress from a practical standpoint, whilst contextualising the technical aspects with ongoing research activities in SUSTAIN, such as the 10 cm2 testing cell shown in Figure 1. The aim of this presentation is to convey the state-of-the-art and to relate the enormous and diverse research field to real-world applications and prospective implementation in industry.

    View the full abstract here.

Session 4: Alloy Design & Performance for Sustainable Steels

  • The global steel industry is undergoing a transformative shift toward sustainable production routes, with Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology at the forefront due to its ability to utilize high scrap contents and significantly reduce carbon emissions. To achieve these goals, Tata Steel UK is preparing for a major transition from the traditional Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) route to EAF production. This shift to high scrap-based steelmaking introduces challenges, with elevated levels of residual elements including Cu, Ni, Cr, Sn and N, providing metallurgical challenges due to the potential impact on mechanical properties.

    To address these challenges, a comprehensive metallurgical program is underway, where laboratory-scale trials have been conducted using manufactured EAF-like chemistries. The investigation reported utilises a HSLA Niobium alloyed steel grade with increased levels of residual elements of up to 0.50% compared to a BOS equivalent of 0.06%. Experimental work includes varying processing parameters during Hot Rolling, Cold Rolling and Continuous Annealing. These results detail changes in recrystallisation behaviour, microstructure and mechanical properties across products such as Hot Rolled S355MC and S420MC, as well as Galvanized products such as S350GD+Z and S390GD+Z. It is noted that within Hot Rolled products a general increase of yield and tensile strength is measured. However at higher residuals levels within galvanised products, retardation of recrystallisation and grain growth are apparent with variation in grain size and morphology. This variation in grain size and morphology leads to the deterioration of elongation, n value and r values, however through adjusting processing parameters such as annealing schedules these properties can be restored to similar levels as measured within the BOS product. 

    The investigation demonstrates the importance of metallurgical development, establishing residual thresholds and manufacturing parameters prior to the transition to EAF steelmaking, thus ensuring HSLA products are of the desired quality.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The increasing demand for sustainable manufacturing necessitates the development of advanced steels that deliver high mechanical performance while minimizing alloying intensity, material usage, and manufacturing inefficiencies. Dual-phase (DP) steels are widely employed in automotive and structural applications owing to their excellent strength and ductility balance; however, their resistance spot welding (RSW) performance remains a major limitation. Conventional DP steels often develop excessively hard martensitic regions in the fusion zone and heat-affected zone during welding, leading to poor weld toughness, crack susceptibility, and high weld repair rates. These issues increase energy consumption, rework, and material wastage, counteracting sustainability objectives. This work addresses these challenges through an integrated strategy combining sustainable alloy design of DP steels with advanced resistance welding process optimization.

    The alloy design approach focuses on developing low-carbon, lean DP steels with reduced dependence on critical alloying elements while retaining high strength and formability. Controlled microalloying with niobium, vanadium, and titanium is employed to refine ferrite grain size, stabilize phase fractions, and tailor martensite morphology. Optimization of carbon equivalent and alloy partitioning behavior is used to enhance weldability and suppress excessive martensite formation during rapid thermal cycles. This composition strategy supports automotive lightweighting by enabling reduced material thickness without compromising structural performance.

    In parallel, advanced RSW methodologies incorporating multi-pulse welding and in-situ post-weld heat treatment are implemented to actively control weld thermal histories. Multi-pulse welding redistributes heat input and mitigates steep hardness gradients, while in-situ post-weld heat treatment induces controlled martensite tempering within the weld nugget and heat-affected zone. This in-process thermal management promotes martensite softening, reduces residual stresses, and enhances weld toughness without requiring external post-weld heat treatments.

    Microstructural evolution, hardness distribution, and mechanical performance of welded joints are systematically evaluated to establish clear relationships between alloy chemistry, welding parameters, martensite softening, and fracture resistance. By reducing brittle microstructural features and weld repair frequency, this integrated alloy–process co-design framework provides a scalable and sustainable pathway for improving the performance and manufacturability of DP steels in high-volume industrial applications.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Most steel products derive their properties from the combination of chemistry and processing with production routes having been optimised over many years for blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) steel. More scrap steel is being used as feedstock during steelmaking to reduce CO2 emissions, either through additions in the BF-BOF or as the majority input during electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. This results in increasing residual element content in the steel, such as Cu, Sn, Cr, Mo, and Ni. Elements such as Cr, Ni and Mo can be deliberately added at varying levels and their effects during steel processing are well known, but this is not the case for Cu at residual levels and, particularly, Sn. It is known that detrimental effects can arise from the presence of Cu (e.g., hot shortness) and mitigation routes have been proposed (e.g., adding Ni). However, less has been reported on the potential advantages that can arise from the presence of residual elements.

    This talk will discuss a systematic study on the roles of Cu (up to 0.9 wt%) and Sn (up to 0.2 wt%) during post-casting processing of steels on microstructural development and properties, particularly grain growth, recrystallisation and phase transformation during reheating and hot working. Although both elements segregate to boundaries (particularly austenite boundaries at elevated temperatures), this tendency is much greater for Sn than for Cu, so that Sn additions (at levels expected for scrap-derived steel) significantly slow grain growth and retard recrystallisation resulting in finer austenite grains. Sn also slows transformation of austenite (for the same grain size) so that its overall effect is a refinement in final grain size that can result in better strength and ductility. In contrast, Cu shows a lower slowing of grain growth and limited effect on recrystallisation. Both residual elements also provide strengthening in the final ferrite via solid solution strengthening and precipitation (for Cu). This quantitative understanding of the behaviour of these residual elements will be summarised and used to consider how their unavoidable presence in steels made with a high scrap content can be exploited to displace deliberate microalloying additions (such as Nb and V used for grain size control and strengthening) to achieve the same strength steel at lower cost and environmental impact.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Alloy additions and trace elements (such as Cu) are known to change the austenite grain boundary mobility. This effects important processes that determine the final grain size, such as austenite grain growth and recrystallisation kinetics. Understanding the effect of individual elements is challenging because the high temperature structure is lost on cooling due to transformation. In this work, the austenite grain boundary mobility during hot rolling was studied in the non-recrystallisation region. Non-recrystallisation temperatures (Tnr) were characterised by conducting plane strain compression (PSC) tests at fixed strain and strain rate for six low carbon steel compositions containing various levels of Cr, Cu and Ni. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and parent grain reconstruction were utilised to reveal the morphology and size distribution of austenite right after deformation and interpass holding. Interrupted PSC tests with a target true strain of 1.2 was conducted at a strain rate of 10s-1 and the effective mobility of austenite (Meff) was determined from the grain size evolution, correlated to the flow stress during deformation. Additions of Cr and Cu significantly reduced Tnr and led to lesser degree of dynamic recrystallisation (Drx). Dilatation experiments were carried out to measure critical transformation temperatures and a clear reduction in processing window can be seen due to the increasing concentration of solutes. Meff analysis indicated that the synergistic effect between Cr and Cu accelerates the migration of austenite boundaries during deformation and isothermal holding. The absence of Cr/Cu segregation at prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGB) was confirmed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). This work highlights the impact of solutes during intermediate stages of steel processing and provides valuable insights into the challenges of studying strain-induced grain boundary migration with phase transforming alloys.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The transition to sustainable steelmaking is a critical enabler for achieving global decarbonization targets with high scrap contents fundamental to this goal. This introduces challenges for producing high-formability steel grades such as DX54 and DX56 which are sensitive to the presence of strengthening elements introduced through residual elements when using higher scrap contents.

    This study explores the development of Interstitial-Free steels under Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) like conditions, with elevated interstitials levels and higher residual elements of Copper, Chromium and Nickel. Two full scale production trials were accomplished, examining higher nitrogen, carbon, and residuals levels than typically produced via Basic Oxygen Steelmaking. In addition to raised titanium content, to ensure acceptable levels of excess titanium, total residuals were tripled and increased from 0.06 to 0.18%.

    Full scale production trials, in excess of 600t, were undertaken on a live manufacturing unit from Steel Plant to Continuous Annealing Lines, as well as supporting laboratory investigations enabling optimised processing parameters. Results show a minor change in mechanical properties, with increases to yield and ultimate tensile strengths and associated reductions in ductility. Although changes in mechanical properties were measured, strategies to mitigate strength increases and elongation losses were implemented, including optimized annealing cycles restoring both n and r value. The study concludes that EAF-like material with elevated residual levels can be successfully used to manufacture high-formable steels including DX54 and DX56. This work shows that lower carbon footprint steel is capable of being manufactured and used within automotive applications, whilst maintaining the sectors stringent performance requirements.

    View the full abstract here.

Session 5: Enablers & Consequences of Technology Transformation

  • Over the last two years, UK has lost more than two thirds of its ore-based steel production capacity and is battling the prospects of losing the rest of it as well. While digging the past is not the intent of this paper, some learnings from it would be useful for determining a more assured way forward for the local industry.

    The paper proposes to first establish the economic and technical rationale for why a level of local primary iron production makes sense. It will recommend moving beyond the narrative of an apparent ‘moral high ground’ by abandoning local primary production and recycling ‘local’ scrap as a source of steelmaking feed - to one contributing to ‘meaningful climate action’ by decarbonizing ironmaking, while also showing that the economic contributions of a mixed approach can in fact be higher than by mere scrap recycling.

    The paper will examine the origin of scrap and the ‘real’ steel consumption by UK society. It will establish the need for suitable ironmaking processes which address attainment of steel quality for several grades, create value through by-products by dealing with concurrent and historical slag stockpiles effectively, provide a path to longevity for quality of local scrap resource; as well as create a reasonable cost position with respect to other possible commonly talked of options. The choices will be restricted to reasonably high TRL options – given that some, like changing the BF to have a lower footprint, may reach a point of no return unless acted upon within the next few years.

    The steel industry transition appears different across various geographies – largely driven by energy transition realities in respective regions. Many in Asia cannot let go of coal due to lack of practical alternatives, while several in Europe are planning a future based on natural gas – the focus is to lower carbon footprint without abandoning primary production. The UK has its own energy transition pathways mapped out – and it would be logical to find ways to enmesh that path with a rational steel strategy. The paper will flag possible avenues for investing sufficiently deeply in a ‘complete’ steel value chain wherein innovation and scientific advancement can be brought to bear as differentiators for overcoming the basic cost disadvantages of steel production in the UK.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The steel industry, while being a cornerstone of modern infrastructure, remains one of the largest global sources of CO₂ emissions. To address this challenge, a broad spectrum of decarbonization initiatives is currently underway. While major transitions—such as the shift from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces and the increasing use of direct reduced iron—drive large-scale change, smaller yet complementary efforts focusing on data analytics, process electrification, and energy efficiency are equally essential. Traditional acid-based pickling of hot-rolled steel sheets contributes significantly to the sector’s environmental footprint due to its high chemical consumption, waste generation, and the need for energy-intensive acid regeneration plants. This systemic transformation perspective also applies to conventional pickling operations with the introduction of laser-based alternatives.

    This study investigates laser-assisted surface descaling as a sustainable replacement for conventional acid pickling. Laser cleaning provides a non-contact, chemical-free, and dry surface treatment that removes oxide scales through selective thermal ablation—enabled by the differences in optical absorption between steel and iron oxides. To evaluate process efficiency, key laser parameters such as power, scanning speed, and focal length of the lens were systematically analysed to achieve effective scale removal while minimizing thermal effects on the substrate. The laser-treated specimens were characterized by SEM to identify residual oxide layers, and subsequent pickling tests were performed to determine the acid concentration required to remove any remaining scale. Based on these experiments, the differences in energy consumption, carbon footprint, and chemical waste generation between laser-assisted and conventional pickling processes were quantitatively assessed.

    This hybrid approach demonstrates that integrating laser descaling into continuous pickling systems can substantially reduce acid usage and increase overall process efficiency, paving the way toward energy-efficient finishing operations. The proposed technology not only mitigates environmental impact but also aligns with the European Green Deal objectives and the ongoing digitalization of steel manufacturing. Consequently, laser descaling represents a promising step toward achieving full sustainability in the downstream stages of steel processing.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Tata Steel Strip Products UK’s decarbonisation journey involves the transition from traditional Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) to an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). The reduction in carbon footprint is achieved mainly via the addition of large quantities of UK sourced scrap steel. However, this increase in scrap feedstock inherently raises and varies the levels of residual elements such as copper, chromium and nickel. Understanding the impact of these elements is of vital importance, as they can lead to product quality or processing concerns such as hot shortness or reduced ductility if not adequately controlled. Work undertaken within this study targets the development of structural EAF Carbon-Manganese steel grades, with focus on a Hot Rolled S275JR product. This product has optimised scrap content in readiness for full scale EAF production, allowing lower embodied emissions when compared to the equivalent product made via the BOS route.

    Metallurgical considerations are made to an existing BOS grade via laboratory research, studying the influence of higher residual levels upon mechanical properties within a C-Mn grade up to a total of 0.48%, eight times higher than comparable BOS products which typically contain a total residual level of 0.06%. A small-scale alloy prototyping method was used to create a series of 50kg casts of bespoke chemistries which mimic the range of expected compositions from future EAF-made steel with high scrap content. These casts were processed in a laboratory scale equivalent of the industrial process, allowing comparison between casts and improving understanding of the impact of chemistry on compositional and microstructural metrics such as transition temperatures, recrystallisation speeds and grain size. Mechanical and microstructural evaluations reveal minor changes in properties leading to the conclusion that existing hot rolling schedules are appropriate and changes in properties can be optimized via changes to the steel chemistry alone.

    Ultimately, the study demonstrates that a Hot Rolled S275JR product can be successfully produced with high scrap contents, enabling lower embodied emissions than most equivalent products currently available on the market. This supports the drive towards net-zero across automotive, structural and construction applications by providing a low carbon product with no compromise regarding quality.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Humanity faces multiple interconnected complex “wicked problems” (Rittel & Webber, 1973) for which there are no simple solutions including climate change, resource depletion, geopolitical instability, and social inequality. Steelmaking - foundational to modern infrastructure and economic development - sits at the centre of these challenges. The industry is simultaneously a major contributor to environmental harm and an essential enabler of low-carbon transitions. As such, large-scale interventions in steel systems represent powerful leverage points (Meadows, 2008) but also carry the risk of significant unintended consequences.

    This paper draws on theories of unintended consequences (Merton, 1936) and systems thinking to examine why purposive actions within complex industrial systems often generate outcomes that diverge from their original intentions. Social–ecological and industrial systems are conceptualised as complex adaptive systems characterised by feedback, nonlinearity, time delays, and cross-scale interactions (Meadows, 2008; Ackoff, 1974). Within such systems, consequences frequently emerge in different places, at different times, or in different domains than those initially targeted. From this perspective, unintended consequences are not anomalies or failures of implementation, but intrinsic properties of systemic change.

    Tata Steel’s proposed replacement of blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) operations at Port Talbot with an electric arc furnace (EAF) provides a case study to observe the multiple consequences of such large-scale actions as they emerge. While the primary intention of the transition is to achieve substantial reductions in direct CO₂ emissions, the intervention represents a systemic shift with far-reaching environmental, economic, and social implications. From an iron-cycle and circularity perspective, increased reliance on scrap-based EAF production accelerates material circularity but raises questions about scrap availability, quality, and geographic concentration, as well as increased dependence on imported pig iron or direct-reduced iron. At the local scale, workforce displacement, changes to by-product ecosystems, and impacts on regional supply chains introduce socio-economic trade-offs rarely captured in conventional emissions accounting.

    The paper identifies and categorises these unintended consequences and proposes a systems-based framework for anticipating, monitoring, and managing them through policy design, data transparency, and coordinated industrial strategy. The Port Talbot case demonstrates that decarbonising steelmaking is not merely a technological substitution, but a systemic intervention requiring wholistic understanding. Recognising unintended consequences is therefore essential to designing steel systems that are resilient, equitable, and aligned with long-term sustainability goals.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The steel sector needs deep decarbonisation even with electric arc furnace (EAF), while EAF plants face the challenges of the energy consumption. In this study we propose an integrated carbon capture and utilisation (ICCU) concept for EAF steelmaking that uses EAF off-gas as CO₂ source and energy source and steel slag as CaO sorbent to co-produce syngas, synthetic methane and methanol. Technical data was gain from system modelling by Aspen Plus for each of the production. Then, the cost feasibility was analysed. Detailly, for a typical EAF off-gas flow of 5000 Nm³·h⁻¹, the three CaO-based routes capture about 2.45 tCO₂·h⁻¹ and give annual products of around 13.1 kt syngas (by ICCU-RWGS), 5.3 kt CH₄( by ICCU-methanation) and 11.0 kt MeOH (by ICCU- methanol synthesis). The levelized costs are 1.27 USD·kg⁻¹ for syngas, 1.74 USD·kg⁻¹ for methanol and 3.33 USD·kg⁻¹ for methane. The TEA results illustrate that hydrogen dominates the cost structure, with a share of about 60% for methanol and 75–92% for syngas and methane. Long-term energy scenarios indicate that strong reductions in low-carbon hydrogen and electricity prices could cut 2050 LCO to 0.03–0.61 USD·kg⁻¹ for syngas, 0.52–1.12 USD·kg⁻¹ for methanol and 0.55–1.88 USD·kg⁻¹ for methane, making EAF–ICCU a promising side-stream option in favourable regions.

    View the full abstract here.

Session 6: Digital & AI Driven Steelmaking

  • The Circular Economy (CE) introduces innovative ideas and practices aimed to reduce waste and track embedded carbon emissions. High emission-productions like steel manufacturing follows numerous processes and imported precursor materials, resulting in substantial Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions. The European Union has introduced a movement named Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), highlighting an urgent need for transparent traceability of imported materials to reduce the risk of carbon leakage. To address this challenge, among other requirements, Digital Product Passport (DPP) and Digital Material Passport (DMP) have emerged as key enablers for the CE. These passports are designed to record and monitor the complete data for a product and its materials throughout its entire lifecycle.

    Our research specifically investigates the implementation of semantic-driven passports to capture and verify the full embedded emissions of steel within the CBAM framework. These passports will be created using semantic technologies, i.e., ontologies and knowledge graphs, that capture data and knowledge in a structured and machine-readable format. This methodology offers many advantages, particularly:

    1. Improved data transparency and traceability to reduce the risk of carbon leakage: Ontologies are domain-specific knowledge bases that can systematically define concepts and relationships within CE in a unified, unambiguous format. The resulting DPP will be machine-readable and exchangeable across diverse systems where the ontology serves as a blueprint for industry who are seeking to transition from manual documentation to automated and traceable carbon reporting.

    2. Improved flexibility and granularity: Present methodology of capturing CBAM data is rigid and limited, where changes in reporting requirements often requires extensive system modifications. However, when the data is structured using a semantic ontology, the resulting system offers significantly improved flexibility and granularity to adapt to evolving standards.

    3. Advanced data validation via semantic reasoning: Ontologies include semantic reasoners that can be utilised to perform sophisticated logical checks, e.g., validating user input or ensuring values are consistent with established CE concepts and CBAM requirements.

    4. Seamless data integration and automated exchange: Data is captured in a knowledge graph, where metadata is captured as part of the architecture. This captured knowledge can be used to infer new relationships and insight, leading to strong support for data collection through automated data exchange and integration across disparate sources.

    5. Centralised data security and access: Industrial data is often sensitive. Ontological structure facilitates a centralised governance model for data access and security. This ensures that everyone in the supply chain is granted access specifically relevant to their permissions, minimising exposure and enhancing data trust.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Product development has long generated avoidable waste in the forging sector, often driven by unsuccessful trials to manufacture new steel components that end in quality defects or failures at critical stages of production. Although developing new steel grades and parts will always involve uncertainty, much of this risk can be reduced by incorporating digital tools early in the design stage, allowing engineers to identify robust parameter windows and discard problematic settings. In addition to the widespread use of simulation approaches such as FE-based thermal modelling, artificial intelligence is increasingly being adopted as the next step in product-design optimization. Reinosa Forgings & Castings is currently assessing how AI methods, combined with conventional FE modelling, can be used to predict the creep performance of a novel steam shaft prior to commissioning. This approach seeks to replace “trial-and-error” development by selecting manufacturing routes and parameters that reliably deliver the targeted final properties.

    To evaluate the environmental implications of these innovations, this study first establishes a baseline by analysing a non-optimized process. It performs a life cycle assessment (LCA) of steam-shaft manufacturing using recycled steel, emphasizing the revalorization of existing residue streams at Reinosa Forgings & Castings and their contribution to circular economy practices. The modelling follows an initial cradle-to-gate scope, focusing on key operations such as EAF melting, refining, and casting, and defines scenarios to quantify the effect of by-product revalorization. Primary data were gathered directly from industrial activities and complemented with secondary data from Ecoinvent v3.11; the system was modelled in Umberto 11.15.2 Environmental impacts were calculated using one tonne of ingot as the functional unit. Preliminary findings show that Reinosa Forgings & Castings configurations that revalorize residue streams can reduce environmental impacts by up to 15% compared with alternative production routes where such streams are treated as waste and disposed. Ultimately, by combining AI-driven design support with LCA, the study aims to support longer service life for critical industrial components within an extended cradle-to-grave perspective.

    View the full abstract here.

  • The iron and steel industry is fundamental to global infrastructure but is also one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to its reliance on traditional high-temperature blast furnace processes. Currently, it is estimated that iron and steel account for roughly 8% of global CO2e emissions, therefore it is vital to find alternative low carbon steel making methods. This research explores the transformative potential of low-temperature electrolytic reduction of iron as a sustainable alternative for decarbonizing steel production.

    This innovative process employs the electrochemical reduction of iron oxides at moderate temperatures (110°C), eliminating the carbon-intensive reliance on coke and natural gas. This study focuses on advancing electrode materials to improve corrosion resistance and optimising electrolytes to enhance reduction efficiency. We systematically explore the influence of electrode grain size and feedstock particle size on efficiency and deposit morphology.  By leveraging advanced characterisation techniques, this research examines the electrode-iron interface, providing crucial insights into the interactions between iron oxide, electrolyte, electrode material, and hydrogen. These findings inform strategies to improve the efficiency and durability of the process.

    The results demonstrate the feasibility of producing high-purity iron with substantially lower energy consumption and environmental impact compared to conventional methods. By addressing critical technological challenges, this work supports the urgent need for cleaner, more efficient steelmaking processes.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Camera recordings provide a rich but underexploited source of image data in steel manufacturing, where conventional sensing is often indirect or delayed. This work presents a vision-based analytics approach for monitoring both process behaviour and product quality in industrial steel production, demonstrated through two case studies.

    The first case study investigates basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking using flame video data. A structured image processing pipeline is developed to convert live video streams into structured image data, including temporal alignment with process signals, region-based analysis, and extraction of colour, texture, and motion features. These features are used within regression and sequence-based learning models to predict key process indicators and endpoint behaviour under highly variable operating conditions.

    The second case study focuses on surface inspection of rolled steel products using industrial camera images from a production line. Robust pre-processing and learning-based methods are applied to detect surface anomalies in the presence of noise, scale, and illumination variability.

    Together, the results demonstrate the effectiveness and transferability of vision-based methods across different stages of steel manufacturing, highlighting their ability to complement traditional sensors and enable data-driven process and quality monitoring in challenging industrial environments.

    View the full abstract here.

  • Over the last decade, maintenance and reliability practices in asset-intensive industries have evolved from condition-based monitoring to predictive maintenance, driven by advances in sensing, connectivity, and analytics. While prediction has improved visibility and early fault detection, many organisations still struggle to translate alerts and health scores into timely operational action—particularly where equipment health affects process stability, throughput, quality, and energy performance.

    This presentation explores the next stage in that evolution: prescriptive maintenance. Rather than focusing solely on anomaly detection or probability of failure, prescriptive approaches aim to answer a more operationally relevant question—what specific action should be taken, and when, to protect asset performance while maintaining stable and efficient process operation.

    Drawing on experience from complex, asset-intensive industrial environments, including large-scale steel manufacturing, the session highlights three foundations for effective prescriptive maintenance. First, a clear understanding of real-world failure modes and process operating conditions, grounded in reliability engineering rather than data alone. Second, the selective use of high-quality condition and process-adjacent data that prioritises meaningful signals over data volume. Third, the integration of analytics with engineering judgement to deliver clear diagnoses and recommended actions, rather than dashboards or raw alerts.

    The presentation examines how this shift from prediction to prescription improves decision-making, increases trust in digital systems, and drives higher rates of action on maintenance recommendations. It also discusses the role of structured operator feedback in closing the loop between insight and outcome, enabling continuous AI model improvement through learning from outcomes observed across similar asset classes and operating conditions. In live industrial steel environments, this approach has been associated with customer-validated prediction accuracies approaching 99.97%, alongside measurable improvements in utilisation and downtime reduction.

    Attendees will gain a practical, operations-led perspective on how prescriptive AI can move maintenance strategies beyond awareness of problems toward consistent, measurable improvements in asset and process performance.

    View the full abstract here.

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