Special Issue of ISIJ International on “Cutting-edge Carbon Utilization Technologies and Processes toward Carbon Neutral Industries” (Submission deadline: 31st May, 2025)

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions as a factor in global warming, curbing temperature rises by 2.0℃ or less in 2014, and more severe measures by 1.5℃ or less in 2018. In the Glasgow Agreement at COP26 in 2021, the pursuit of 1.5°C, which had been an striving goal, became the de facto goal. Achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, which is the goal of many countries, requires the development of various innovative technologies in addition to the improvements of conventional technologies, and various research and development efforts are underway around the world. On the other hand, carbon has a high exergy rate and is not only essential as an energy source for various industrial operations, but also an essential alloying element for steel and an essential element as the molecular skeleton of various materials. Therefore, in a carbon-neutral society, innovative technologies for utilization of carbon resources without CO₂ emission are important.

In this special issue, with the aim of the ultimate utilization of carbon resources in the iron and steel industry and manufacturing industries, we will gather domestic and international knowledge and plan for the purpose of presenting guidelines for the development of new low carbon technologies and processes. Topics include 1) technologies and processes for utilizing carbon resources in the steel and manufacturing industries, 2) CO₂ recovery, 3) the production, transportation, and industrial use of carbon monoxide, carbon, methane, hydrocarbons, etc. as energy carriers derived from CO₂ , 4) energy technologies including electricity, hydrogen, etc. required for energy carrier manufacturing, 5) innovative steelmaking and industrial processes for transformed energy carriers, 6) carbon energy system assessment and life cycle assessment integrating the entire processes, and 7) the other related issues.

In this special issue, original or review papers on recent technologies and forefront research on the above topics will be widely invited. In addition to the open call for paper, excellent papers will be invited from those presented in “The Second Symposium on Carbon Ultimate Utilization Technologies for the Global Environment　(CUUTE-2)” on 12th-15th November, 2024”.

1. Scope

Presenting pathways to the ultimate utilization of carbon resources in the steel, chemical, and manufacturing industries in the coming carbon-neutral society. Showcasing the latest and cutting-edge research results on the low-carbon processes, the recovery, utilization, recycling of CO₂, the carbon neutral technologies, low carbon systems and their life cycle assessment, and so on.

2. Submission of manuscript

1. Submission deadline is 31st, May, 2025.
2. Manuscript should be submitted in a style consistent with the “Instruction to Authors.”
3. The manuscript should be submitted via ISIJ International online submission site on the following URL.
   URL：http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/isijint
   If you have any questions on the operation of electronic submission, please contact the Editorial group of ISIJ.
   E-mail：editol@isij.or.jp
4. Authors wishing to submit review papers should contact to the following guest editor:
   Dr. Hirokazu Konishi
   Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
   National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Suzuka College
   Phone: +81-59-368-1846, E-mail: konishi-h@mse.suzuka-ct.ac.jp
   Prof. Hiroshi Nogami
   Institute of Multi-disciplinary Research for Advanced Materials,
   Tohoku University
   Phone: +81-22-217-5156, E-mail: nogami@tohoku.ac.jp

3. Schedule for issue

Published 30th, December 2025.