Sustainable Iron Production via Highly Efficient Low-Temperature Electrolysis of 3D Conductive Colloidal Electrodes

In order to decarbonize the iron and steel production that generates around 8% of global CO₂ emissions, in this work, we propose a low-temperature electrolysis (100 °C) with 3D conductive colloidal Fe₂O₃ electrodes to produce iron sustainably. As the designed electrodes offer the 3D conductive network to facilitate the electrochemical reduction of Fe₂O₃, high-purity Fe powder (>95%) can be produced with high current efficiency (>95%). There is no direct CO₂ emission from this process, and only O₂ is emitted as a byproduct. In addition to Fe, we also demonstrate the production of metal and alloy powders such as Cu, Ag, and FeNi alloy using the proposed method. Moreover, a techno-economic assessment of the process is performed to evaluate industrial feasibility as well as CO₂ emission analysis. Altogether, our proposed alternative process is green, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient, showing great potential for revolutionizing the conventional process that has a history of significant environmental impact for decades.