Constraints and countermeasures for Fe-containing raw materials and burdens of ironmaking facing the carbon neutral goal in China

Faced with the pressing challenge of achieving China’s carbon neutrality goal, the iron and steel industry—responsible for substantial carbon emissions—must accelerate its transition toward low-carbon production within the constraints of the existing industrial framework. This paper provides a systematic review of the critical issues plaguing ironmaking raw materials and burden preparation, emphasizing three interconnected constraints: limited domestic reserves, declining ore quality, and an irrational burden structure dominated by sintering. Specifically, China’s dependence on low-grade iron ores, high external supply risks, and the energy-intensive nature of conventional sintering collectively hinder decarbonization efforts. In response, this study reviews comprehensive green burden strategies aimed at reshaping material inputs and process technologies. Key pathways include expanding the resource base through enhanced geological exploration, import diversification under the Belt and Road Initiative, and large-scale utilization of secondary iron-bearing resources. Simultaneously, improving raw material quality via advanced beneficiation and graded ore utilization is essential. Technologically, the development of novel burdens—such as pre-reduced burden, iron coke and cold-bonded pellets—and the adoption of innovative burden preparation processes like super-high bed homogeneous sintering, double-layer ignition sintering, and coal-based colloidal composite binder are highlighted. By synergizing raw material upgrades with advanced process design, this integrated approach can significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in ironmaking, thereby offering a viable and systematic technical route to support the green transformation of China’s steel industry.