SUSTAIN Steel Annual Review 2022-2023

2022-2023 Annual Review

In this year’s review:

Task 1: Emissions Management

Prof. Andrew Barron1, Prof. Peter Styring2, Dr Enrico Andreoli1, Dr George Dowson2, Dr Craig Armstrong1

Task 2: Integrated Steelmaking to Reprocess Waste

Prof. Peter Holliman1, Dr Richard Thackray2, Dr Eurig Jones1, Lisa Ahmad2, Zachary Lowther1, Sam Reis1

Task 3: Steel Scrap Utilisation

Prof. Zushu Li3, Prof. Claire Davis3, Dr Richard Thackray2, Dr Mo Ji3, Will Robertson2

Task 4: UK Digital Steel Innovation Hub

Prof. Arnold Beckmann1, Prof. Cameron Pleydell-Pearce1, Prof. Cinzia Giannetti1, Prof. Janet Godsell4, Dr Kayal Lakshamanan1

Task 5: Intelligent Steelmaking

Dr Michael Auinger3, Dr Richard Thackray2, Dr Aurash Karimi3, Dr Uchenna Kesieme2

Task 6: Thermal Efficiency

Prof. Cameron Pleydell-Pearce1, Dr Hollie Cockings1, Dr Jonathan Elvins1, Prof. Matt Carnie1, Dr Matt Burton1, Nicola Thomas1, Nigel Kougampillil1, Cadyn Robinson1, Ebrima Salah1, Emma Williams1, Geraint Howells1, Patrick Maine1

Task 7: Green Casting

Prof. Claire Davis3, Dr Carl Slater3, Ajitesh Sharma3

Task 8: Smart Sensors for Real-Time Measurement

Prof. Claire Davis3, Dr Frank Zhou3

Task 9: Product Development, Late Stage Definition and Integration

Prof. Mark Rainforth2, Prof. Eric Palmiere2, Dr Martin Strangwood3, Dr Peng Gong2, Sam Morgan3

Professor Cameron Pleydell-Pearce

SUSTAIN Director

info@sustainsteel.ac.uk

Welcome to the 2023 SUSTAIN Future Steel Manufacturing Research Hub Annual Review!

In this review, we’ll update you with the key findings from our research across the Tasks, and give you an insight into the future direction of our work as we continue to innovate and break new ground.

Our research teams have made exciting advancements in the fields of carbon capture and electromagnetic sensors, and the digital innovation hub is delivering innovative insights in data analysis using artificial intelligence, amongst many other highlights.

I would personally like to thank all our funders and collaborators, from academia, industry and beyond for their continued support. I’m looking forward to the year ahead as our research teams move into the second phase of SUSTAIN and continue to deliver outstanding work.

Task 1: Emissions Management

Our particular interest in the SUSTAIN project is a form of diesel. It burns very, very cleanly. There’s no carbon-carbon bonds in it, so it can’t make soot. And we can make it from carbon dioxide...

Prof. Andrew Barron, Prof. Peter Styring, Dr Enrico Andreoli, Dr George Dowson, Dr Craig Armstrong

Task 2: Integrated Steelmaking to Reprocess Waste

We ran a planet for 4 billion years on carbon dioxide, because nature recycles it using photosynthesis.

We can recycle it using other processes...

Prof. Peter Holliman, Dr Richard Thackray, Dr Eurig Jones, Lisa Ahmad, Zachary Lowther, Sam Reis

Task 3: Steel Scrap Utilisation

Prof. Zushu Li, Prof. Claire Davis, Dr Richard Thackray, Dr Mo Ji, Will Robertson

The outcomes of this research will provide a foundation for increasing the steel scrap in steel production processes and developing more efficient and environmentally friendly methods for the production of high-quality steels.

Task 4: UK Digital Steel Innovation Hub

Prof. Arnold Beckmann, Prof. Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Prof. Cinzia Giannetti, Prof. Janet Godsell, Dr Kayal Lakshamanan

Steel plants are starting to use the data, but not to the extent that they could really make big improvements.

Task 5: Intelligent Steelmaking

Dr

Michael Auinger, Dr Richard Thackray, Dr Aurash Karimi, Dr Uchenna Kesieme

We are combining physics-based modelling with industrial data to make fast and accurate predictions of material properties and process performance.

Feasibility Study:

Techno-economic Feasibility of Net-Zero Emission Solutions for Metal Heating (THERMOS)

Dr Yukun Hu (University College London)

Feasibility Study Calls are SUSTAIN’s primary mechanism to introduce new academic collaborators to the Hub. These Calls fund research projects, which are aligned and complementary to the existing research program.

Task 6: Thermal Efficiency

Prof. Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Dr Hollie Cockings, Dr Jonathan Elvins, Prof. Matt Carnie, Dr Matt Burton, Nicola Thomas, Nigel Kougampillil, Cadyn Robinson, Ebrima Salah, Emma Williams, Geraint Howells, Patrick Maine

A steelworks produces enough energy to heat around 500,000 homes every year, which in the middle of an energy crisis and a cost of living crisis is a massive socio-economic benefit.

Task 7: Green Casting

Prof.

Claire Davis, Dr Carl Slater, Ajitesh Sharma

We’re looking at new casting technologies to be able to cast exotic steels faster and with the same structural properties as with conventional casting techniques.

Task 8: Smart Sensors for Real-Time Measurement

Prof.

Claire Davis, Dr Frank Zhou

The benefit of the sensor is that it gives you an online, live measurement that is the true property of the steel, rather than having to guess what the steel’s structure is based on its predicted temperature.

Task 9: Product Development, Late Stage Definition and Integration

Prof.

Mark Rainforth, Prof. Eric Palmiere, Dr Martin Strangwood, Dr Peng Gong, Sam Morgan

It would be much more efficient if we could reduce the number of compositions that we make and, by changing the way that we deform and heat treat the metal, produce a range of properties out of one composition.