One major point this article overlooks is that CO2 is a byproduct of the iron ore -> steel process. It uses carbon to bind the oxygen molecules in the iron ore (which is mostly Iron Oxide) to produce pure iron and CO2.
It IS possible to create new iron in an induction or electric arc furnace, but you still need to add carbon to drive the chemical reaction that actually purifies the ore.
That said, there are other elements (such as hydrogen which is mentioned once) that can be used to bind with the oxygen instead of carbon, it’s just that most of them do so violently. Engineering around that volatility isn’t trivial, and sourcing them introduces new logistical problems.
Ultimately, I think forcing carbon capture as part of the process is probably the easiest way to solve the problem. It’s not like taking CO2 out of regular air: it is being produced in a controlled environment as part of an industrial system, so engineering a way to separate the carbon and oxygen before it leaves that system should be very feasible.
One major point this article overlooks is that CO2 is a byproduct of the iron ore -> steel process. It uses carbon to bind the oxygen molecules in the iron ore (which is mostly Iron Oxide) to produce pure iron and CO2.
It IS possible to create new iron in an induction or electric arc furnace, but you still need to add carbon to drive the chemical reaction that actually purifies the ore.
That said, there are other elements (such as hydrogen which is mentioned once) that can be used to bind with the oxygen instead of carbon, it’s just that most of them do so violently. Engineering around that volatility isn’t trivial, and sourcing them introduces new logistical problems.
Ultimately, I think forcing carbon capture as part of the process is probably the easiest way to solve the problem. It’s not like taking CO2 out of regular air: it is being produced in a controlled environment as part of an industrial system, so engineering a way to separate the carbon and oxygen before it leaves that system should be very feasible.