Iron’s in the Fire: Smokeless, Carbon Free Combustion

Iron Combustion

Burning iron powder is completely smokeless and carbon-free. No noxious gases are produced; instead, the iron oxidizes, or rusts. Credit: Eindhoven University of Technology/Team SOLID

8 Comments on "Iron’s in the Fire: Smokeless, Carbon Free Combustion"

  1. “Out of sight, out of mind” seems to be the guiding principle of these researchers. Even if they use a waste product from iron production, it sounds like iron production is necessary to the successful application. Diesel fuel, used in explosives are essential to mining iron ore. Diesel fuel is critical to transporting the ore out of the mine and to crushing and benificiation facilities. The processing plant probably uses electricity created from coal or natural gas. The actual smelting requires a heat source that is reliable (that excludes solar and wind), and today is largely coal or hydroelectricity. The smelting process requires a flux that include limestone, which releases CO2 when melted. A high-grade form of coal (or man-made derivative from low-grade coal) called coke, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coke_(fuel)] is typically used in abundance to remove oxygen from the iron oxide; in the process CO2 is released! Lastly, the waste material proposed for the iron burning has to be extracted, sieved, and shipped to the users. This will likely produce more CO2. Before this can be used by society, someone should do an analysis of the related CO2 production in the chain of supply. Just because something CAN be done doesn’t mean is should be done.

    • Magru utabe cucurutu tata pepe chichi | December 17, 2020 at 5:04 am | Reply

      its all marketing. But hey at least they are innovating, and with incremental steps things will get better

      • On what do you base your optimism? The continuous improvement in environmental conditions worldwide, the lack of inflation the last century, the rarity of obesity in advanced countries, the significant decline in cancer rates, and the absence of novel diseases that the world needlessly prepared for?

  2. The pictures and videos you share contain a lot of useful information.
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  3. Surely this can’t be eco friendly. Iron production has a huge carbon footprint, and what do they do with all the rust made from the burnt iron?

  4. Love Shayari Urdu | March 1, 2021 at 5:37 am | Reply

    Thanks for sharing the awesome post, I love your content

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