Green Steel as the Key to Industrial Transformation
The steel industry is undergoing a profound transformation toward low-emission production routes. Key drivers include a precise understanding of and model-based control over complex phenomena in high-temperature processes—ranging from fluid flows and electromagnetic effects to heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions. These phenomena are crucial in electric arc furnaces, among other applications, and form the basis for technological innovations on the path to green steel.
The new CD Laboratory substantially expands this understanding of the process: from identifying the mechanisms that significantly influence efficiency, quality, and emissions, to developing predictive numerical models that will support the design, optimization, and operation of industrial processes in the future.
Research Focus
The Christian Doppler Laboratory combines state-of-the-art numerical simulations with targeted experimental investigations. “The goal is to understand how molten steel interacts with its environment, how impurities are efficiently removed, and how transport phenomena influence product quality, energy consumption, and the overall environmental impact of steel production. In this way, the laboratory makes a substantial contribution to process reliability, increased efficiency, and the sustainable orientation of metallurgy,” explains laboratory director Priv.-Doz. Dr. Ebrahim Karimi Sibaki.
BMWET Promotes Application-Oriented Excellence
CD laboratories are strategically important for universities: Researchers work with intense focus on future-oriented topics, while collaboration with companies ensures the transfer of results into industrial applications. The BMWET strengthens this bridging function and, in doing so, the international competitiveness of science and industry.
Federal Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer emphasizes the importance of this research area: “Austria as an industrial hub must get back on the fast track, and to make this possible, we need affordable energy, strong research, and technological excellence based on key technologies, as defined in our industrial strategy. Our goal is clear: we want Austria to rank among the top 10 industrial nations worldwide. The transition to sustainable production means lower energy consumption and reduced use of raw materials, thereby creating genuine competitive advantages for our industry. The new Christian Doppler Laboratory in Leoben generates precisely this knowledge and provides a central foundation for sustainable, efficient, and future-proof steel production, benefiting the economy, the region, and the environment.”
Close collaboration with industry partners
The CD Laboratory collaborates with leading companies:
INTECO: “INTECO is proud to support the newly established Christian Doppler Laboratory for Reactive Flows in the Production and Refining of Green Steel—the third consecutive CD Laboratory to which the company is contributing. The program addresses advanced modeling of electroslag remelting and electric arc furnace processes to gain insights into melt flow, refining reactions, and energy efficiency, thereby enabling more robust and sustainable process control,” emphasizes Dr. Christian Redl, INTECO Melting and Casting Technologies GmbH.
RHI Magnesita: “As a global leader in refractory materials, RHI Magnesita is participating in the CD Lab to deepen our understanding of high-temperature reactive flows and develop new refractory solutions for more efficient, sustainable steel production. “The initiative underscores our commitment to innovation, strong academic partnerships, and the transition to greener production technologies,” explains Dipl.-Ing. Gernot Hackl.
Primetals Technologies Austria: “The Montanuniversität Leoben is continuing its pioneering work and establishing the third consecutive Christian Doppler Laboratory on this topic. We are focusing on gaining a deeper understanding of complex liquid steel flows in the continuous casting mold under realistic conditions—including early solidification, gas bubbles, inclusions, the remelting of mold powder along with slag dynamics, and the targeted use of magnetic fields for flow control. The goal is stable operating conditions and the highest product quality, for example for concepts such as Endless Strip Production (ESP),” explains Josef Watzinger, Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH.
Contact
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Ebrahim Karimi Sibaki
Chair of Modeling and Simulation of Metallurgical Processes
Email: ebrahim.karimi-sibaki@unileoben.ac.at
Tel.: +43 3842 402 3115
[Source: Technical University of Leoben, published 28.01.2026]