New Delhi, Dec. 29th: Hyderabad-based International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), known for quality research & development of high-performance materials and processes, celebrated its silver jubilee last Thursday.
ARCI, established in 1996-97, is an autonomous research and development centre of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has transferred technologies to more than 40 companies and developed about 200 technological solutions for industrial and strategic sectors during its 25-year journey.
Dr Tata Narasinga Rao, Director (Additional Charge)said, “25 years ago, we embarked on a journey of shaping the future in the area of Powder Metallurgy, Ceramic Processing and Surface Engineering and later expanded to Nanomaterials, Laser processing of materials, fuel cell technology, sol-gel coatings, solar energy materials and Automotive energy materials, aligning our programmes with national missions.”
“We powered through the years with great enthusiasm and zeal towards developing technologies and transferring them to industries”, added Dr Rao, during a formal silver jubilee celebration on 23rd December 2021.
Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Governing Council-ARCI and Dr S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, DST, congratulated ARCI and wished the organisation reaches greater heights of success in the years to come. They highlighted the fact that 25 years marks a very significant milestone for ARCI during which ARCI achieved many accomplishments in the field of advanced materials and processing and emerging technologies, in the area of Lithium-Ion batteries and systems, supercapacitors, low-expansion glass ceramics, SOFC, Clean coal technologies, etc.
Dr PK Jain, Scientist ‘G’ and Chairman, Welfare Committee, ARCI, said that ARCI is celebrating its 25th anniversary on the occasion when the country entered its 75th year of independence which is being celebrated as ‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav’.He explained how ARCI started with 11 employees in 1991 and has grown into a nationally unique laboratory in the field of advanced materials and processing technologies.
Dr T. Narasinga Rao emphasized that it is a proud moment to celebrate the silver jubilee of ARCI, where the success is on account of the collaborative effort of the entire ARCI family. Dr Rao said that ARCIscientists are not only transferring the technical know-how to industries but also handholding them till its commercialization. In this process, ARCI is developing highly saleable human resources and striking the right balance between applied and basic research. ARCI has been maintaining Indian as well as International patents leading to several technologies and publications with high impact factors, added Dr Rao.
Dr. R. Gopalan, Regional Director-ARCI Chennai, said that it is the need of the hour for tuning research directions in line with emerging technologies. He recollected the initial days of setting up the Centre for Automotive Energy Materials and shifting of Centre for Fuel Cell Technology to IIT-M Research Park. Technical Research Centre on Alternative Energy Materials and Systems was awarded to ARCI and a major chunk of activities have been initiated at Chennai Centres in setting up the Lithium-Ion Battery plant for fabrication of Li-ion cells and its successful on-road demonstration.
Dr Roy Johnson, Associate Director, said, “ARCI has demonstrated its capability through commercialising the technologies in ceramic honeycombs, transparent ceramics, and silicon carbide space components. Currently, a megaproject on low glass expanding ceramics is ongoing and a project on indigenisation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) for environmentally benign energy generation is also being initiated. Centre is also perusing sol gel-based anti-bacterial and anti-corrosion coatings and activities on semiconductor-based solar thermal power generation.”(Indian Science Wire)