The EnWaRec project: development of antiscaling and anticorrosion coatings for steel mill cooling water circuit

The EnWaRec project addresses the nexus between energy and water in hydrogen-based steelmaking by implementing with an holistic approach the recovery of waste heat and water from cooling and gas washing circuits including internal energy and water reuse. To overcome traditional barriers of fouling, scaling, and corrosion, the project integrates real-time process monitoring, thermally stable chemical treatments, and specialized anti-wear coatings. These innovations enable the use of microturbines for hydropower, high-temperature heat pumps for steam generation, and membrane distillation for water recovery. By optimizing these processes through predictive simulation software, EnWaRec will provide technologies and tools opening recovery of waste heat and water.

RINA-CSM in EnWaRec intends to model ADI Steel producer cooling water circuit plant. The model evaluates maximum energy extraction and micro-turbine operating ranges using real-time industrial data and simulations. Moreover, will be tested and defined steel materials suitable for industrial water circuit by electrochemical tests as Open circuit potential (OCP) and polarization curves measurements in electrolyte simulating ADI industrial water.

Tailored silicon alkoxides (as TEOS, GPTMS) based sol-gel coatings will be developed for applications to prevent scaling and corrosion on heat exchangers surfaces, cooling nozzles and turbine inner parts. The aim is to achieve very thin coatings, with low wettability, also adaptable to complex component geometries. The thin layer will not impact the flow and the section of the turbine inner parts and cooling nozzles. Moreover, the low wettability will disfavour the settlement and growing of scaling and corrosion agents of the industrial water on heat exchangers, maintaining heat transfer efficiency.

The authors are presenting this work on behalf of the EnWaRec Consortium

This work was supported by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) under grant agreement No 101216643. The project EnWaRec funded this research.