India, the world’s second largest steel maker produced 118.2 million tonnes of steel in 2021. 

The existing method of steel making involves reduction of iron oxide using coke (Carbon (CO)) which releases carbon-di-oxide.

This process contributes to 90% of carbon footprint of steel making.  

Carbon was replaced with hydrogen to mitigate the huge greenhouse gas burden.

But, water formed as a product of the reaction itself got trapped inside the tiny pores which were created as a result of oxygen leaving the iron. 

This leads to reoxidation(reverse) and thus slowing the reduction kinetics (the time taken for reduction of iron oxide to iron). 

A few researchers from Germany in their paper published in Physical Review Letters have come up with their research finding as a solution to this stated creating narrow channels on the mineral (i.e., micro-fracture structure) would facilitate drainage of the water formed thereby allowing further more hydrogen to enter and continue the reduction process. 

Perhaps, reduction kinetics and high cost of hydrogen reactants would be the the challenges for widespread application of this.