The Eurecat technology centre presented at the Steel Tech trade fair the development of new innovative technologies that supply industry with new steels made from recycled material, enabling a reduction in CO₂ emissions. It also showcased advances in new methodologies to characterize and validate the properties of these new steels in major commercial sectors.
These innovations have been developed thanks to Eurecat’s participation in European programs such as Horizon Europe and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), through more than ten projects aimed at moving towards cleaner steel production by integrating recycled materials and optimizing industrial processes.
Within these initiatives, Eurecat works with more than 25 partners from sectors such as automotive, household appliances and renewable energy, among others, with the aim of bringing together the steel value chain to implement solutions to current industrial and environmental challenges. In this way, promotes a transformation of the industry aligned with the European Union’s climate objectives is promoted.
The projects focus on key areas such as additive manufacturing, advanced lightweight and high-strength steels, their use in renewable energies, and the promotion of a more circular and efficient steelmaking industry.
One example is the CiSMA project, coordinated by Eurecat, which aims to produce high-performance steels from 100% recycled material derived from scrap, using electric arc furnaces—a technology that makes it possible to reduce CO₂ emissions while promoting a circular economy model and reducing Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs).
Advanced scrap separation and purification technologies
CiSMA focuses on overcoming the technical barriers associated with the use of scrap, such as the presence of unwanted inclusions that can deteriorate steel properties. To address this, advanced scrap separation and purification technologies are being developed, along with advanced methods for characterizing the resulting steel.
To validate these new steels, two pilot trials will be carried out in real industrial environments, in which automotive components and parts for industrial washing machines will be manufactured. These tests will make it possible to verify the technical and commercial viability of the new steels and to quantify the environmental improvements compared with currently used materials.
Along similar research lines, the European project COOPHS focuses its efforts on the development of press hardening steels (PHS) using electric arc furnaces instead of blast furnaces. This approach facilitates the incorporation of a high percentage of recycled material and significantly reduces the carbon footprint.
The project also addresses the challenges associated with the use of recycled scrap, such as the presence of residual elements that can affect the microstructure, mechanical properties and surface treatments of steel. To this end, methodologies are being developed to determine acceptable levels of these elements in industrial environments, as well as digital tools to optimize the balance between low emissions and final product performance.
In addition, Eurecat took part in the workshop area of the fair with the session “Redefining steel: innovation for a sustainable and decarbonized circular economy”, delivered by Paula Félix de Castro, Innovation Manager of Eurecat’s Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit. Likewise, in the poster area, Anna Payà, a researcher from the same unit, presented the results of the Sup3rForm project, which evaluates the formability of advanced third-generation steels through the determination of forming limit curves (FLCs) and their comparison with first- and second-generation steels.
