Electrowinning Iron and Recycling Sulfuric Acid from Iron Sulfates: a Zero-Carbon Iron-Making Process

Book excerpt: This comprehensive monograph is primarily intended to describe the patented FerWIN® technology, a green and zero-carbon iron-making process, which consists to perform the electrowinning of iron metal and the recycling of sulfuric acid from iron sulfates that are by-produced at the million tons scale worldwide while releasing pure oxygen gas. The information has been presented in such a form that industrial electrochemists, chemical engineers, metallurgists, and other practicing engineers, scientists, professors, and technologists will have access to relevant scientific and technical information supported by key experimental data that were obtained from extensive laboratory, prototype, and pilot testing. It also includes comprehensive electrochemical and engineering calculations, costs and benefits analysis, financial and sensitivity analysis. This monograph will be of value also to men and women engaged in the traditional iron and steelmaking industries that want to understand this novel electrochemical technology outside their conventional blast furnace, direct reduced iron, and electric arc smelting processes. Finally, the monograph may be of interest to persons in the steelmaking industries occupying managerial positions such as chief executives, chief operating officers, and V.P. of operations. The following topics are covered: • Background, markets, and prior art; • Electrochemical calculations and figures of merit; • Selection of industrial electrodes and membranes • Electrochemical reactor design and performances; • Industrial electrowinning plant calculations; • Prototype and pilot testing; • Costs and benefits analysis; • Financial and sensitivity analysis; • Implementation strategy; • Bibliography; • Appendices.