MechChem Africa September-October 2024

SKF and voestalpine to decarbonise bearing production SKF and voestalpine Wire Technology have successfully produced the first prototype bearing made using steel from the hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI) steelmaking process, a breakthrough in decarbonising bearing production. ⎪ Local manufacturing and food processing ⎪

hydrogen instead of carbon to reduce the CO 2 emissions; in this case the waste gas produced is water (H 2 O) instead of carbon, which is not a greenhouse gas. The reaction is as follows: Fe 2 O 3 + 3H 2 2Fe + 3H 2 O or FeO +H 2 Fe + H 2 O For the steel to be genuinely ‘green’ ‘how ever, the hydrogen itself must typically be generated using 100% renewable energy and the electrolysis process, where the hydrogen in water is itself reduced to form hydrogen gas: 2H 2 O + green energy 2H 2 + O 2 integrating green steel solutions into the bearing production process, voestalpine Wire Technology is demonstrating its com mitment to reducing CO 2 emissions. This innovation, developed in collaboration with SKF, represents a significant step forward in the company’s efforts to make the steel industry more sustainable. SKF is also increasing its use of steel pro duction processes with low CO 2 emissions – such as scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace production – from its suppliers. In 2021, SKF became a member of the Steel Zero and the Responsible Steel initiatives, joining other like-minded businesses in showing a clear commitment to decarbonising the steel industry by 2050 and advocating for the changes needed to make that happen. SKF is a world-leading provider of inno vative solutions that help industries become more competitive and sustainable. By mak ing products lighter, more efficient, longer lasting, and repairable, it helps its customers to improve their rotating equipment per formance and reduce their environmental impact. SKF’s offerings around the rotating shaft include bearings, seals, lubrication management, condition monitoring, and services. Founded in 1907, SKF is represented in approximately 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations world wide. Annual sales in 2023 were SEK103 881 million and the number of employees was 40 396. www.skf.com

SKF and voestalpine produce first spherical roller bearing prototype made from steel that contains hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI).

S KF and voestalpine Wire Technology, a subsidiary of the leading steel and technology group voestalpine, have successfully produced the first pro totype bearing made from steel that contains hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI). This represents a breakthrough in the efforts to decarbonise bearing production as H-DRI is a low emission alternative to conventional iron ore-based steelmaking and one of the important methods to make steel sustainable in the future. SKF and voestalpine have been working together since 2022 to explore the pos sibilities of using H-DRI steel for bearing applications. By using H-DRI steel, SKF and voestalpine Wire Technology aim to meet the demand for green steel and thereby contribute to the global efforts to combat climate change. The spherical roller bearing prototype was handed over to voestalpine Wire Technology at SKF’s factory in Steyr, Austria. Spherical roller bearings can be used in many different applications and industries, such as marine, pulp and paper production, mining and construction. “Steel is a critical raw material in bear ings, and to achieve the change and speed needed in decarbonising bearing produc tion, the whole industry must come to

gether. Our collaboration with voestalpine is a tangible example of how we are work ing together and transforming ideas into actions towards a more circular industrial development. This technology is fundamen tal for the steel industry to be able to decar bonise with confidence,” says Annika Ölme, CTO and Senior Vice President, Technology Development, at SKF. For voestalpine Wire Technology, the partnership with SKF marks a milestone in the development of eco-friendly steel production technologies. By successfully

Direct vs hydrogen-based iron reduction Direct reduction of iron (DRI) is a chemi cal reaction for the removal of the oxygen in iron oxide ores to produce metallic iron.

This is traditionally done by introduc ing carbon into a blast furnace to chemi cally reduce iron ions (Fe+3 for example) to their neutral elemental form. 2Fe 2 O 3 + 3C 4Fe + 3CO 2 Using DRI for producing the iron for steelmaking makes steel a carbon inten sive material, because its manufacture results in significant CO 2 emissions. Hydrogen-based DRI (H-DRI) uses

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