Indo-German funding for research on hydrogen-based ironmaking

Wiser programme supports collaboration between Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials and Indian Institute for Technology Indore

At a glance

• Project funding: The Indo-German Science and Technology Centre has awarded € 48,000 euros to Maria Jazmin Duarte Correa from the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Germany and Khushubo Devi from the Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India for a joint research project.
• Research topic: The project focuses on how impurities in low-grade iron ores affect hydrogen-based reduction processes.
• Relevance: Iron and steel industry accounts for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen-based reduction processes would reduce CO₂ emissions by 90%, but need to be better understood and optimized to handle impurities in low-grade iron ores.
• Research aim: Results could help develop impurity-tolerant CO₂-free processes for sustainable iron and steel production.

The Indo-German Science and Technology Centre has awarded € 48,000 euros to Dr. Maria Jazmin Duarte Correa, group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Germany, and Dr. Khushubo Devi, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore. The scientists aim to understand how impurities influence the hydrogen-based reduction of iron ores, and unlock the full potential of hydrogen for sustainable steelmaking, even when using complex, low-grade mineral resources.

Why hydrogen-based ironmaking matters

The iron and steel industry accounts for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions, making it one of the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gases.

One promising alternative is hydrogen-based direct reduction, a process that uses hydrogen instead of carbon-based fuels to convert iron ore into metallic iron. Unlike conventional methods, the reaction releases water instead of carbon dioxide, reducing emissions by around 90%. As resources of high-grade iron ores are limited, researchers are now developing processes to use low-grade iron ores even though their impurities complicate the reduction process.

How impurities in iron ore influence the reduction process

Many iron deposits around the world contain low-grade ores, typically with less than 50% iron. These ores also include so-called gangue minerals, such as silica (SiO₂), alumina (Al₂O₃), calcium oxide (CaO), and magnesium oxide (MgO). During hydrogen reduction, these impurities can strongly influence the reaction and impact the ore porosity, promote sintering, slow down hydrogen diffusion or change the nucleation and growth of metallic iron. These effects ultimately determine how quickly and efficiently hydrogen can reduce the iron oxide.

To address these challenges, the research team will systematically investigate how impurity oxides influence hydrogen reduction across all reaction stages.

“We will focus on two key questions: how impurities affect agglomeration and microstructure in hydrogen-reduced low-grade iron ores. And, how impurities influence reaction kinetics and gas transport during the reduction process”, explains Duarte Correa. The researchers will combine experimental studies and modelling using a multi-scale approach. “Impurities can change the way pores form and evolve, influence oxygen transport through iron layers, and create new phases that hinder hydrogen diffusion. That’s why we aim to predict impurity-driven phase formation and reaction dynamics during hydrogen reduction”, says Devi.

Towards impurity-tolerant hydrogen reduction processes

Ultimately, the researchers aim to develop impurity-tolerant hydrogen-reduction processes suitable for low-grade iron ores. These insights could help make hydrogen-based ironmaking more practical and scalable, supporting the transition toward low-carbon steel production.

The funding is provided under the Women Involvement in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) programme of the Indo German Science and Technology Centre. It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology of the Indian government, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The programme promotes international research partnerships and strengthens the participation of women scientists in science and engineering. The project will run for three years and includes several research visits in both countries, enabling close collaboration between the two research groups.