Characteristics of High-Temperature Torrefied Wood Pellets for Use in a Blast Furnace Injection System

Richard Deutsch, Norbert Kienzl (), Hugo Stocker, Christoph Strasser and Gernot Krammer
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Richard Deutsch: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria
Norbert Kienzl: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria
Hugo Stocker: voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Christoph Strasser: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria
Gernot Krammer: Institute of Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: As the iron and steel industry needs to cut its CO 2 emissions drastically, much effort has been put into establishing new—less greenhouse-gas-intensive—production lines fueled by hydrogen and electricity. Blast furnaces, as a central element of hot iron production, are expected to lose importance, at least in European production strategies. Yet, blast furnaces could play a significant role in the transitional phase, as they allow for the implementation of another CO 2 -reducing fuel, carbonized wood reducing agents, as a substitute for coal in auxiliary injection systems, which are currently widely used. Wood carbonization yields vastly differing fuel types depending on the severity of the treatment process, mainly its peak temperature. The goal of this study is to define the lowest treatment temperature, i.e., torrefaction temperature, which results in a biogenic reducing agent readily employable in existing coal injection systems, focusing on their conveying properties. Samples of different treatment temperatures ranging from 285 to 340 °C were produced and compared to injection coal regarding their chemical and mechanical properties. The critical conveyability in a standard dense-phase pneumatic conveying system was demonstrated with a sample of pilot-scale high-temperature torrefaction.

Keywords: torrefied wood pellets; iron ore reduction; pulverized coal injection; coal substitution; fuel suitability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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