Iron powder may be the key to a sustainable energy future, according to researchers from McGill University in Canada and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. The scientists used the European Space Agency’s microgravity experiment facilities to investigate discrete burning, a type of fire where flames jump from one fuel source to another. They burned iron powder in zero gravity, allowing the iron particles to float and ignite discreetly. The research resulted in computer models that showed the ideal conditions to burn the fuel on Earth. Iron rust can be processed to remove oxygen and return it as iron using hydrogen, making it a circular, endlessly recyclable energy storage. A demonstration plant is already up and running in Budel, near Eindhoven, using iron as its fuel source.
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