Development and progress on hydrogen metallurgy
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MINERALS METALLURGY AND MATERIALS
Authors: Tang, Jue; Chu, Man-sheng; Li, Feng; Feng, Cong; Liu, Zheng-gen; Zhou, Yu-sheng
Abstract
Hydrogen metallurgy is a technology that applies hydrogen instead of carbon as a reduction agent to reduce CO(2)emission, and the use of hydrogen is beneficial to promoting the sustainable development of the steel industry. Hydrogen metallurgy has numerous applications, such as H(2)reduction ironmaking in Japan, ULCORED and hydrogen-based steelmaking in Europe; hydrogen flash ironmaking technology in the US; HYBRIT in the Nordics; Midrex H-2 (TM) by Midrex Technologies, Inc. (United States); H2FUTURE by Voestalpine (Austria); and SAL-COS by Salzgitter AG (Germany). Hydrogen-rich blast furnaces (BFs) with COG injection are common in China. Running BFs have been industrially tested by AnSteel, XuSteel, and BenSteel. In a currently under construction pilot plant of a coal gasification-gas-based shaft furnace with an annual output of 10000 t direct reduction iron (DRI), a reducing gas composed of 57vol% H(2)and 38vol% CO is prepared via the Ende method. The life cycle of the coal gasification-gas-based shaft furnace-electric furnace short process (30wt% DRI + 70wt% scrap) is assessed with 1 t of molten steel as a functional unit. This plant has a total energy consumption per ton of steel of 263.67 kg standard coal and a CO(2)emission per ton of steel of 829.89 kg, which are superior to those of a traditional BF converter process. Considering domestic materials and fuels, hydrogen production and storage, and hydrogen reduction characteristics, we believe that a hydrogen-rich shaft furnace will be suitable in China. Hydrogen production and storage with an economic and large-scale industrialization will promote the further development of a full hydrogen shaft furnace.
Effectiveness of a community based out-of-hospita cardiac arrest (OHCA) interventional bundle: Results of a pilot study
RESUSCITATION
Authors: Tay, Pamela Jia Min; Pek, Pin Pin; Fan, Qiao; Ng, Yih Yng; Leong, Benjamin Sieu-Hon; Gan, Han Nee; Mao, Desmond Renhao; Chia, Michael Yih Chong; Cheah, Si Oon; Doctor, Nausheen; Tham, Lai Peng; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock
Abstract
Background: 70% of Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in Singapore occur in residential areas, and are associated with poorer outcomes. We hypothesized that an interventional bundle consisting of Save-A-life (SAL) initiative (cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillator (AED) training and public-housing AED installation), dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) program and myResponder (mobile application) will improve OHCA survival. Methods: This is pilot data from initial implementation of a stepped-wedge, before-after, real-world interventional bundle in six selected regions. Under the SAL initiative, 30,000 individuals were CPR/AED trained, with 360 AEDs installed. Data was obtained from Singapore's national OHCA Registry. We included all adult patients who experienced OHCA in Singapore from 2011 to 2016 within study regions, excluding EMS-witnessed cases and cases due to trauma/drowning/ electrocution. Cases occurring before and after intervention were allocated as control and intervention groups respectively. Survival was assessed via multivariable logistic regression. Results: 1241 patients were included for analysis (Intervention: 361: Control: 880). The intervention group had higher mean age (70 vs 67 years), survival (3.3% [12/361] vs. 2.2% [19/880]), pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (9.1% [33/361] vs 5.1% [45/880]), bystander CPR (63.7% [230/361] vs 44.8% [394/880]) and bystander AED application (2.8% [10/361] vs 1.1% [10/880]). After adjusting for age, gender, race and significant covariates, the intervention was associated with increased odds ratio (OR) for survival (OR 2.39 [1.02-5.62]), pre-hospital ROSC (OR 1.94 [1.15-3.25]) and bystander CPR (OR 2.29 [1.77-2.96]). Conclusion: The OHCA interventional bundle (SAL initiative, DA-CPR, myResponder) significantly improved survival and is being scaled up as a national program.