| Abstract Scope |
As a major global emitter of CO2, the future of the steel sector is closely linked to reducing its carbon footprint. Greenhouse gas generation occurs at various production stages requiring high temperatures, such as reheating semi-finished products before hot rolling. Reheating furnaces typically use air and natural gas combustion, which is inefficient due to the energy required to heat the nitrogen in air. One solution is to improve energy efficiency through oxy-combustion. However, to effectively decarbonize the process, transitioning to hydrogen as an alternative fuel is essential.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of steel using H2 combustion during the reheating before hot rolling. Laboratory experiments on different steel grades included heat treatments, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and hot ductility tests. The effect of different atmospheres (NG/Air, H2/Air, NG/O2, and H2/O2) on mass variation, yield, oxidation kinetics, and hot ductility was analyzed using industrial heating profiles. |