Carbon emission reduction in the iron and steel industry is critical for achieving China’s carbon-neutral goal. This paper systematically reviews the research and application progress of various carbon capture technologies. The characteristics of carbon emissions in the iron and steel industry are summarized. The blast furnace is highlighted as the main source, accounting for roughly 30% of the total CO2 emissions in the industry. Carbon capture technologies in the iron and steel industry mainly include organic amine absorption, aqueous ammonia absorption, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), and steel slag mineralization. Currently, the overall scale of carbon capture technology application in the iron and steel industry remains limited. The organic amine absorption technology has been successfully applied in the iron and steel industry, such as at Emirates Steel and Bayi Steel. It has a high CO₂ capture rate and selectivity; however, the high energy consumption in the regeneration process limits its large-scale application. Currently, novel absorbents, including non-aqueous solvent absorption systems, phase change absorption systems, and catalyst-assisted regeneration systems, have been developed to address the high energy consumption. The regeneration energy consumption can be reduced to less than 2 GJ per ton of CO2. PSA technology has only been applied in a limited number of cases within the iron and steel industry. Molecular sieves, as the predominant adsorbent, are central to PSA technology and have received the highest research focus. Adsorption performance can be enhanced through active component loading, ion-exchange modification, and the formation of composite materials by combining them with other components. Steel slag mineralization technology can simultaneously achieve CO₂ fixation and the resource utilization of solid waste, making it a distinctive approach in the iron and steel industry with promising application prospects. Recent studies propose an integrated absorption-mineralization strategy, wherein CO₂-laden amine solutions are chemically regenerated during the mineralization process.

Future research should focus on the following aspects. Firstly, carbon capture deployment should prioritize blast furnace operations. As the most carbon-intensive stage in steel production, blast furnaces emit flue gases and blast furnace gas (BFG) with high CO₂ concentrations, making them ideal candidates for technological implementation. Consequently, carbon capture efforts in the iron and steel industry should focus primarily on BFG and hot blast stove flue gases. Secondly, research on phase-change absorption systems and catalyst-assisted regeneration systems should be strengthened to address challenges in balancing phase separation and absorber viscosity, as well as ensuring catalyst stability. This will ultimately facilitate their combined application with improved efficiency and reduced energy consumption. Thirdly, steel slag mineralization represents a distinctive carbon emission reduction approach tailored to the iron and steel industry. This technology enables the simultaneous utilization of steel slag and in-situ CO₂ capture and conversion. Future research should prioritize the integration of capture and mineralization processes, particularly through direct flue gas-steel slag mineralization and integrated capture-mineralization systems.