AMMME-26
Materials Engineering Chemical & Material Sciences (General) Composite Materials Data Mining & Analysis Materials Engineering Metallurgy Mining & Mineral Resources
These topics focus on the digital transformation, automation, and sustainable practices in resource extraction.
Digital Mining and Automation:
Autonomous Equipment: Autonomous haul trucks, drills, and robotic systems for excavation and inspection.
Remote Operations and Digital Twins: Remote control centers and virtual, real-time replicas of mine sites for simulation and optimization.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Predictive maintenance, real-time process optimization, and AI-driven ore body modeling.
Advanced Exploration and Geotechnology:
Advanced Sensing: Hyperspectral imaging, drone-based (UAV) surveys, and LIDAR for precise mineral identification and mapping.
Rock Mechanics and Ground Control: AI-driven prediction of rock stress and new ground reinforcement materials for deep and ultra-deep mining.
Sustainable and Green Mining:
Renewable Energy Integration: Powering mine sites with solar, wind, and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Water Management: Advanced recycling, treatment technologies, and closed-loop systems.
Mine Waste Management: Dry tailings disposal, re-use of waste, and comprehensive land reclamation techniques.
Eco-friendly Extraction: Bioleaching (using microorganisms to extract metals) as a cleaner alternative to chemical processes.
Safety and Workforce Technology:
Automated Safety Networks: Real-time hazard detection, gas control, and automated emergency response systems.
Wearable Technology: Smart helmets and vests for real-time tracking of location, vital signs, and environmental monitoring (e.g., hazardous gases).
This area focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of materials with superior properties.
Advanced Materials Development:
Nanostructured Materials: Nanomaterials, quantum dots, nanowires, and nanofabrication techniques.
High-Performance Alloys: High-temperature superalloys (Ni- and Co-based), lightweight alloys (Al, Mg, Ti-based), and high/medium entropy alloys.
Composite Materials: Fiber composites, polymer-ceramic composites, and natural fiber polymer composites for applications like aerospace and ballistics.
Functional Materials: Electronic (ferroelectrics, piezoelectrics), Magnetic, Optical, and Superconducting materials.
Materials for Energy and Environment:
Energy Storage/Conversion: Materials for solid oxide and PEM fuel cells, photovoltaics, and advanced polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries.
Hydrogen Technology: Materials for hydrogen storage and handling.
Biomaterials:
Ceramic and polymer composites for orthopedic and dental implants, and drug delivery systems.
Computational Materials Science:
Materials Theory: First-principles calculations and constitutive modeling of material behavior.
Modeling and Simulation: Multi-scale modeling of materials, molecular dynamics, and predictive modeling for material performance.
Topics here center on the efficient extraction, processing, and shaping of metals and alloys, often with a focus on sustainability and advanced manufacturing.
Process and Extractive Metallurgy:
Advanced Extractive Techniques: Optimization of hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, and bio metallurgy.
Mineral Processing: AI-driven ore sorting, flotation optimization, and dry processing techniques to reduce water use.
Sustainable Metal Production: Innovations in mini blast furnaces, carbon footprint reduction, and technologies for sustainable steelmaking (Industry 4.0).
Physical and Mechanical Metallurgy:
Alloy Design: Development of new alloys with enhanced strength, durability, and corrosion resistance.
Advanced Manufacturing: Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) of metal parts and prototypes.
Deformation Processing: Severe plastic deformation (e.g., ECAP, ARB) to control microstructure and enhance properties.
Mechanical Behavior: Studies on creep, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and high-temperature deformation of materials.
Advanced Processing and Joining:
Modern Welding Technologies: Laser welding, friction stir welding, and ultrasonic welding for difficult-to-join metals.
Corrosion and Surface Engineering: Development of corrosion-resistant alloys, thermal barrier coatings, and diffusion-controlled thin-film coatings.
Recycling and Circular Economy:
Metals Recycling: Efficient and sustainable processes for recovering valuable metals, including urban mining (recycling electronic waste).