Sintering behavior of combusted iron powder in a packed bed reactor with nitrogen and hydrogen (Open Access)--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Hessels, C. J. M., Smeets, A. H. J., Finotello, G., Deen, N. G., & Tang, Y. (2023). Sintering behavior of combusted iron powder in a packed bed reactor with nitrogen and hydrogen. Particuology, 83, 8-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2023.02.007

Sintering behavior of combusted iron powder in a packed bed reactor with nitrogen and hydrogen (Open Access)

C.J.M. Hessels ^a *, A.H.J. Smeets ^a, G. Finotello ^{a b}, N.G. Deen ^{a b}, Y. Tang ^{a b *}

a Power and Flow Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600MB, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
b Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES), PO Box 513, 5600MB, Eindhoven, the Netherlands

10.1016/j.partic.2023.02.007

Volume 83, December 2023, Pages 8-17

Received 28 November 2022, Revised 20 January 2023, Accepted 16 February 2023, Available online 25 February 2023, Version of Record 8 March 2023.

E-mail: c.j.m.hessels@tue.nl; y.tang2@tue.nl

Highlights

Abstract

Sintering behavior of micron-sized combusted iron powder is studied in a packed bed reactor, at various temperatures under inert (nitrogen) and reducing (hydrogen) conditions. Compression tests are subsequently used to quantify the degree of sintering. A sintering model, based on the formation of a solid bridge through solid state surface diffusion of iron atoms, matches the experimental results. Sintering of combusted iron occurs at temperatures ≥ 575 ℃ in both nitrogen and hydrogen atmospheres and increases exponentially with temperature. The observed decrease in reduction rate at high temperatures is not caused by the sintering process but by the formation of wüstite as an intermediate species, leading to the formation of a dense iron layer. Iron whiskers form at high temperatures (≥ 700 ℃) in combination with low reduction rates (≤ 25 vol% H₂), leading to the production of sub-micron fines.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Metal energy carrier; Combusted iron; Whiskers; Solid bridge force; Sintering

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