Boston Metal is promoting what could be a revolutionary
steelmaking process that would provide the industry with independence from
pollution-heavy blast furnaces.
In fact, the company's molten oxide
electrolysis innovation has won Fast
Company's World Changing Ideas Award in the climate category.
"We're developing a solution
that could fully replace the blast furnace," Adam Rauwerdink, Boston
Metal's senior vice president of business development, said in
a Fast Company story.
Making steel has been a dirty
process since iron started being smelted centuries ago, now contributing
upward of 10% to
global, planet-warming air pollution. The process includes separating ore into
its core parts of iron and oxygen. The pure iron can be turned into steel.
Coal-fired furnaces and cleaner electric
arc furnaces dominate production, all per Fast
Company, ScienceDirect,
and other reports.
Boston Metal's process is
fossil-free, using renewable electricity to power electrolysis to convert ore into a
steelmaking-quality metal. The simplified technique includes temperatures of
around 2,912 degrees Fahrenheit and expert chemistry. A rendering of
the mechanics involved shows what looks like a battery.
There's an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. When juiced up, the oxygen
bubbles out and the high-quality iron can be harvested.
But it's what's not involved that's
key to the breakthrough. There's no air pollution or "other harmful
byproducts" created. The method doesn't need "process water" or
chemicals, either. The technique can purify ore of any grade, making it a viable option
to scale. Company officials plan to commercialize the innovation by 2026, all per the startup's website.