Postdoc Researcher on Developing DRI Melting Strategies for Future EAF Operations

Job description

Sustainability remains a hot topic in the steel industry due to growing public awareness of climate change and increasingly stringent regulations. One of the ways to make industry greener is to develop new routes such as green hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI) and electric arc furnace (EAF) route which has great potential for substantially lowering emissions for the steel industry. Part of Tata Steel Netherland’s “Green steel” transition plan aims to replace the existing blast furnace and coke oven with more sustainable DRI-EAF route by 2030. Integrating DRI into EAF steelmaking process presents several challenges that are critical to efficient steel production:

• Carbon in conventional natural gas-based DRI reduces melting temperature. Low-carbon DRI or H-DRI use increases energy consumption, potentially reducing productivity and raising operating costs.
• Slag foaming is essential in EAF operations, reducing electrical energy and electrode consumption, refractory wear, and electric disturbances. However, H-DRI produces little CO gas, making it difficult to create and sustain a stable foamy slag.
• Effective stirring supports DRI pellet melting. With H-DRI, limited CO generation may lead to longer melting times.

The primary aim of this research to determine the H-DRI melting mechanism with different DRI quality. Developing an understanding of the EAF slag characteristics and heat transfer from slag to DRI on a fundamental level is critical. As a postdoc in Steelmaking Process Kinetics, you will:

• Explore experimental techniques to replicate and quantify DRI melting, heat transfer and DRI-slag interaction in industrially observed EAF operations due to the limited research work on EAF operations based on the use of H2-DRI.
• Evaluate reported techniques critically and select a technique adaptable in the laboratory scale environment for further experimental work.
• Design and perform lab-scale experiments in the laboratories at TU Delft. 
• Develop a mathematical model including chemical reactions, gangue dissolution, FeO reduction based on the experimental results.
  
  

As a postdoctoral fellow, you are also expected to support other researchers and assist in preparation of research proposals in green steel initiatives. You will report project results as scientific publications, conference papers, as well as technical reports.

The Metals Production, Refining and Recycling (MPRR) Group at Technical University Delft has joined the National Growth Funding “Groeien met Groen Staal”  (GGS)” programme which aims at making the Dutch steel sector circular, CO2-neutral, and high-tech by 2050. This project is positioned in Theme II Production. The programme offers an ambitious high-gain challenge that goes beyond what’s state-of-the-art to find greener alternatives to well-established processes and raw materials in the industry.

Metals Production, Refining and Recycling section (MPRR)

You will be part of the Metals Production, Refining, and Recycling section at TU Delft, where cutting-edge research is conducted to optimize resource efficiency and reduce environmental impacts in metal industries. The MPRR research team specializes in the elucidation of reaction mechanisms and kinetics using experimental studies and process modelling and simulation. The team bridges fundamental science with practical, real-world applications, contributing to circular economy innovations.

You’ll collaborate with scientists from MPRR, the GGS programme, and Tata Steel Netherlands—colleagues passionate about green steel and sustainability. At MPRR, we work closely every day to strengthen the group through each member’s growth, fostering a collaborative culture without rigid hierarchies and plenty of opportunities for professional and academic development.

Job requirements

We are looking for a self-motivated researcher to help developing new technologies for green steel production. For this position, we are expecting the candidate with the following qualifications:

• You hold a PhD degree in chemical, metallurgical or materials engineering.
• You have sound knowledge in pyrometallurgical fundamentals including thermodynamics and reaction kinetics, and are acquainted with ironmaking and steelmaking technologies.
• You have experienced with kinetic and thermodynamic modeling. Particularly, a knowledge on the following modeling tools; Factsage, Thermocalc, Python, and Matlab, is a big plus.
• You are familiar with designing and conducting high temperature experiments and are familiar with using furnaces and reacting gases (in particularly O2, H2, CO/CO2 and natural gas).
• You are independent but also a good team player, and are willing to cooperate closely with other researchers and our industry partners.
  
  

Join this unique programme, where you can apply your technical knowledge to a project with Tata Steel Netherlands. Imagine designing new processes more sustainable and (cost-)efficient and improving the recyclability of steel. You can help make an impact on society!

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. 

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration. 

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Mechanical Engineering 

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. 

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.