Page 70 - CTB-1 10 May

70 PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE
International Advanced Research Centre for
Powder Metallurgy and New Materials
Above: Groundbreaking ceremony being conducted for the centre’s building (1991); Signing of multilaterial agreements (1993)
Below: Li-ion battery fabrication facility. Insets show batteries fabricated at ARCI and e-scooter running with ARCI-battery
International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), a unique R&D institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) with the motto ‘Translating Research to Technology’, had its genesis as
a product of India’s most extensive Integrated Long-term Programme on Cooperation in Science & Technology (ILTP) with the erstwhile Soviet Union. It started as a collaborative project in the field of ‘powder metallurgy’ implemented by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) of India and
the Belarusian Powder Metallurgy
Association (BPMA) and transformed into one of the best materials-based application-oriented research laboratories in the country.
THRUST AREAS
Powder Metallurgy: ARCI has expertise
and infrastructure to develop innovative processes and technologies to make powders and components at the prototype/pilot scale to cater to automotive, aerospace, strategic, and
other industrial sectors. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Development of oxide dispersion strengthened steels for high- temperature applications, powders for additive manufacturing, and biodegradable implants are
some of the significant directions being pursued by the centre.
Engineered Coatings: ARCI has established the capability for a comprehensive surface engineering through R&D on thermal sprays, electrolytic, vapour deposition, and sol- gel techniques.
Ceramic Processing: The ceramic processing centres at ARCI have established a
range of shaping techniques such as compaction, extrusion, gel casting, slip casting, pressure slip casting, chemical vapor deposition, cold and hot isostatic pressing, and 3D printing of a range of oxide and non-oxide ceramics. The applications range from honeycomb structures as substrates
for air heating or inserts for antimine boots to transparent and reflective optical and optoelectronic applications.