# Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen > This patent describes an integrated system that uses extra oxygen in a blast furnace to make iron more efficiently, while also capturing the furnace's waste gases to generate electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. - **Patent:** US 8133298 - **Original title:** Blast furnace iron production with integrated power generation - **Owner:** Air Products and Chemicals - **Granted:** 2012 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 62 - **Field:** heavy_industry, energy, carbon_capture, industrial_gases, power_generation ## What it does The patent describes a system that combines iron production in a blast furnace with power generation and carbon dioxide capture. It introduces "super-enriched air" into the blast furnace, containing about 32% to 70% oxygen (Claim 1), which helps gasify coal more effectively. This process generates a fuel-rich "top gas" (Claim 1) that includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Instead of just venting this gas, the system recovers it and uses it to generate electricity in a combined cycle power generation system (Claim 12). Before using the top gas for power, carbon dioxide can be removed from it (Claim 4, 7), making the power generation cleaner and allowing for CO2 sequestration. For example, a steel mill could use this system to not only produce iron but also power its own operations or even sell excess electricity, all while reducing its carbon footprint. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover blast furnace operations using standard air or oxygen enrichment levels below 32 molar percent oxygen. - Does not cover systems where the blast furnace top gas is simply flared or used only for heating without generating power in a combined cycle system. - Does not cover methods of iron production that do not involve the gasification of coal in the blast furnace. - Does not cover power generation systems that do not specifically utilize blast furnace top gas with a calorific value greater than about 110 btu/scf. - Does not cover systems that produce iron without also integrating a carbon dioxide removal system for the top gas. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in the specific integration of very high oxygen enrichment (32-70% oxygen, "super-enriched air") in the blast furnace with a system to capture and utilize the resulting high-energy top gas for efficient power generation and carbon dioxide removal. This creates a self-sustaining energy loop while simultaneously enabling carbon capture. ## Real-world examples 1. Integrated steel mills 2. Industrial gas suppliers (e.g., Air Products, Linde, Air Liquide) 3. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects 4. Combined cycle power plants ## Why it matters This patent is significant because it addresses two major challenges in the iron and steel industry: energy efficiency and environmental impact. By integrating power generation and CO2 capture directly into the blast furnace process, it offers a pathway to reduce fuel consumption (specifically coke, Claim 6) and greenhouse gas emissions. This approach can make iron production more economically and environmentally sustainable, which is crucial for an industry known for its high energy use and carbon footprint. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen cover? This patent describes an integrated system that uses extra oxygen in a blast furnace to make iron more efficiently, while also capturing the furnace's waste gases to generate electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. ### Who owns patent US 8133298? Air Products and Chemicals owns this patent, granted in 2012. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on December 5, 2028, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 8133298 cited by? This patent has been cited by 62 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is significant because it addresses two major challenges in the iron and steel industry: energy efficiency and environmental impact. By integrating power generation and CO2 capture directly into the blast furnace process, it offers a pathway to reduce fuel consumption (specifically coke, Claim 6) and greenhouse gas emissions. This approach can make iron production more economically and environmentally sustainable, which is crucial for an industry known for its high energy use and carbon footprint. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover blast furnace operations using standard air or oxygen enrichment levels below 32 molar percent oxygen. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8133298/blast-furnace-iron-production-with-integrated-power-generation **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US8133298 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Capturing Carbon Dioxide While Making Electricity with Hydrogen and Solar](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12327854/apparatuses-and-methods-for-carbon-dioxide-capturing-and-electrical-energy-produ) — This patent describes an integrated system that captures carbon dioxide from the air or industrial exhaust while simultaneously generating clean electricity using a hydrogen gas turbine powered by solar-generated hydrogen and oxygen, all without burning fossil fuels. - [Making Chemicals from Carbon Dioxide and Steam Using Electricity](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20110132770/process-for-producing-compounds-of-the-cxhyoz-type-by-reduction-of-carbon-dioxid) — This patent describes a process that uses electricity to split steam and then reacts the resulting hydrogen with carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to create various carbon-based compounds, like fuels or plastics. - [How to Capture Carbon Dioxide from Air or Smoke Using Seawater](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11648507/process-and-apparatus-of-ocean-carbon-capture-and-storage) — This patent describes a system that uses natural seawater to wash carbon dioxide out of industrial smoke or the air, then stores it safely in the ocean, aiming for an affordable, green way to fight climate change. - [Boosting Fuel Cell Power for Vehicles Using Oxygen Injection](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5346778/electrochemical-load-management-system-for-transportation-applications) — A system that boosts a vehicle's fuel cell power by injecting pure oxygen into the air supply when the engine needs extra energy. - [How to Make Hydrogen Gas and Cupric Chloride Using an Electrolysis Cell](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8636880/electrolysis-cell-for-the-conversion-of-cuprous-chloride-in-hydrochloric-acid-to) — This patent describes an electrochemical cell that uses cuprous chloride in hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas and cupric chloride, separated by a special membrane.