Making green steel from hazardous waste

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (until recently the “Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung“) have achieved a breakthrough in the recycling of waste from aluminium production, so-called red mud, and the manufacture of green steel. By using hydrogen plasma, they were able to extract CO₂-free iron from hazardous red mud. This way, 600 million tonnes of CO₂-free steel can be produced from four billion tonnes of aluminium waste, which is currently piled up around the globe. This can be achieved in conventional electric arc furnaces, which have been used in the steel industry for decades.