Abstract
The steel industry faces increasing pressure to reduce CO₂ emissions and transition away from blast furnaces, while maintaining efficient and profitable production of high-quality products. This presentation addresses these challenges by exploring advanced modelling techniques for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) smelting furnaces (DSFs), also referred to as electric smelting furnaces (ESFs), a key technology for greener steelmaking.

Drawing on experience from developing new pyrometallurgical production technologies (PPTs) and recent DSF technology assessment workshops, Ex Mente has developed a technology development framework [1] to support clients in more reliably and rapidly developing PPTs. This framework emphasizes the need for structured, iterative development, starting with the simplest aspects and progressing towards more complex design and operation details.

This presentation highlights Ex Mente’s work in the Groeien met Groen Staal (GGS) consortium in the Netherlands, which aims to transform steelmaking through research and development. Specifically, Ex Mente’s contribution to the GGS program is focused on developing next-generation computational modelling technology. These include multiphysics solvers (Figure 1) with integrated advanced material descriptions [2]. Figure 1: Summary of the main physical phenomena included in ESF multiphysics models, assuming immersed-electrode operation.

The presentation discusses the current status of DSF technology development, including key requirements and unknowns, and demonstrate how these advanced modelling techniques contribute to DSF development, and pyrometallurgical processes in general. The plan, progress to date, and future actions will be discussed. Combining structured systems engineering principles, laboratory experiments, and pilot-scale test work supports rapid development of understanding of complex interactions between materials, process, equipment, and operation to create robust and reliable plants, which is required for successful and sustainable metals production.

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References
1. Zietsman, J.H., Weitz, H. (2024). Southern African Pyrometallurgy 2024, Johannesburg, 37-42.
2. Zietsman, J.H. (2024). MOLTEN 2024, Brisbaine, 877-892.

Biography
Dr Johan Zietsman has more than 25 years of extractive metallurgy experience, both in industry and academia, as well as software engineering related to extractive metallurgy. He is the founder and CEO of Ex Mente Technologies, a pyrometallurgy consulting and systems development company. His interests in extractive metallurgy include pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes, thermochemistry, computational modelling, slag freeze linings, and new process technology development. In software engineering, he is involved in design and development of information systems, and software for process modelling, financial modelling, operational enhancement, and advanced process control. He has a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Pretoria, and has published several papers at peer-reviewed conferences and refereed journals.