Abstract
This study explores the hydrogen reduction of industrial mill scale as a method for obtaining iron powder suitable for powder metallurgy applications. Mill scale, a by-product of hot rolling, was subjected to reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere at 800 °C, 900 °C and 1000 °C for 60 minutes under isothermal conditions. The chemical composition of the obtained products was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDX). The results demonstrate that reduction at 800 °C produces sponge iron with approximately 95 wt.% Fe, accompanied by residual oxygen and calcium. At 900 °C, variations in impurity distribution were observed, reflecting the heterogeneous structure of the raw scale. The highest degree of reduction occurred at 1000 °C, where the iron content exceeded 98 wt.% and no harmful impurities such as sulfur or phosphorus were detected, although localized oxide inclusions remained. The findings confirm the feasibility of recycling mill scale through hydrogen reduction, providing both ecological benefits and economic advantages by converting metallurgical waste into valuable feedstock for powder metallurgy.