Materials Chemistry

Biography

Biography: Sheila Devasahayam

Abstract

Metallurgy is an energy and emission intensive process and consume non-renewables such as metallurgical coke. The current global trend to move away from a carbon based fuel to reduce carbon pollution and tariff has seen the mineral sector advance clean energy options for its operations. Use of waste materials, are cheaper and alternative options to reduce the emissions drastically while reducing the process temperatures in many metallurgical operations including in iron making. Waste plastics are good source of hydrogen and carbon providing a good reducing atmosphere to many high temperature processes. In addition they also act as sink for greenhouse gases thus reducing their foot print. Plastics with advanced material properties can replace some of the additives currently used in metallurgical processes thus saving on costs. Millions of tons of plastics end up in landfills and oceans each year, between 22 percent and 43 percent of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills, where its resources are wasted. This presentation explores the means to reduce the energy requirement, consumption of non-renewable resources and also to abate the emissions in metallurgical operations.