An Electric Circuit Analogy Model for Analyzing the Relation Between CO and H2 in Interfacial Reduction Reactions

Clean energies are promising alternatives to fossil fuels in the steel industry to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and consequently suppress global warming. The first step for achieving the goal is to partially replace carbon monoxide (CO) by hydrogen (H-2) in the iron oxide reduction reactions. Therefore, the competitive interaction between the CO and H-2 in gas-solid reactions should be first unraveled. The gaseous reduction experiments in this work employ CO, H-2, and their mixture to reduce the wustite (FeO) when the interfacial chemical reaction is the rate-controlling step. We establish an electric circuit analogy model to clarify the gaseous components' interaction based on experimental kinetics analysis, and a linear relation is highlighted and further validated to model gaseous reduction reaction rates under present experimental conditions. The results are expected to provide quantitative insight into the competitive interaction between gaseous components in the reduction process controlled by the interfacial reaction.