20 due to poor attention to research related to the extraction of strategic metals, including 17 rare earth element In (REE) with nickel, cobalt and lithium College of Engineering In the country, India has not reported any significant progress in this important area. Due to lack of quality research faculty and facilities in engineering colleges, engineering students in the country are not pursuing Masters and PhD in this field. Furthermore, due to poor hoe work in the field of REE, including mining and their extraction techniques, students are not motivated to work in this area.
Recently 10 Western countries led United States of america has formed a partnership named mineral security partnership , MSP) India is not a participant in this partnership as it has not made any significant progress in the mining and research of these 20 elements. These 11 countries will focus on building a supply chain of minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and 17 REE through mining, extraction and use of these elements to develop an alternative to China, which has developed vast processing infrastructure in rare earth minerals. Manufactured and acquired. Mines in Africa. Cobalt, nickel and lithium are essential raw materials for making batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles. REE is an essential component of more than 200 consumer products, including mobile phones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, semiconductors, flat-screen televisions and monitors, and high-end electronics such as space and weapons technologies.
Talking to Education Times, Chaitanya Lakshmi Indira, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry (CoE: Materials Science/Sensors and Nano Electronics), CMR Institute of TechnologyBengaluru, says, “In the current scenario of imminent energy transition that is based on hydrogen production as a clean fuel for vehicles or environmental remediation by capturing carbon dioxide and ensuring water security. Nickel, along with metals, These 17 REEs, along with cobalt, lithium, are part of important catalysis, detection and separation processes.
“The main activity in most engineering colleges is the BE program whose curriculum is often very elementary and the scope for extensive scientific research and development is negligible. There is lack of seriousness in focusing on doing Masters because after UG, students and even college faculty are engaged in securing better placements. The intake of full-time doctoral programs and dedicated research faculty, which is the core of such research activities, is a standard practice in higher education institutions in most countries, but is almost non-existent in Indian engineering colleges except in a few cases. Explains to Indira.
“The materials science and metallurgy branch of applied science due to alternative and renewable energy development (solar, wind, hydrogen generation, batteries and supercapacitors), consumer electronic gadgets, environmental engineering and remediation (water, air and soil pollution) is highly relevant today. CO2 capture), geotechnical monitoring (including alternative energy and mining) and composites for various technology applications. The field of rare earth elements may be one of the important topics to pursue as they are involved in most of these activities. are concerned which can raise academic standards and bridge the research gap if faculty and students are properly oriented,” explains Indira.
Manoranjan Kumar Manoj, Head, Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur says, “20 strategic metals including 17 REEs along with Nickel, Cobalt and Lithium are used in various applications such as manufacturing high corrosion and heat resistant materials, batteries, electronic components and much more. Li-ion batteries have great potential to be used in electric vehicles and hence these metals are essential for the development of any country. However, on the extraction of REEs in engineering colleges of the country Research is a neglected domain, despite the fact that these metals have a great strategic relevance. This is due to the fact that the extraction of these metals is a complex and costly process.”
“Infrastructural development and motivation among researchers and scientists can help in promoting research and development in the extraction of these metals and their use in manufacturing of various products, which is the current need of the country,” says Manoj.
Recently 10 Western countries led United States of america has formed a partnership named mineral security partnership , MSP) India is not a participant in this partnership as it has not made any significant progress in the mining and research of these 20 elements. These 11 countries will focus on building a supply chain of minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and 17 REE through mining, extraction and use of these elements to develop an alternative to China, which has developed vast processing infrastructure in rare earth minerals. Manufactured and acquired. Mines in Africa. Cobalt, nickel and lithium are essential raw materials for making batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles. REE is an essential component of more than 200 consumer products, including mobile phones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, semiconductors, flat-screen televisions and monitors, and high-end electronics such as space and weapons technologies.
Talking to Education Times, Chaitanya Lakshmi Indira, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry (CoE: Materials Science/Sensors and Nano Electronics), CMR Institute of TechnologyBengaluru, says, “In the current scenario of imminent energy transition that is based on hydrogen production as a clean fuel for vehicles or environmental remediation by capturing carbon dioxide and ensuring water security. Nickel, along with metals, These 17 REEs, along with cobalt, lithium, are part of important catalysis, detection and separation processes.
“The main activity in most engineering colleges is the BE program whose curriculum is often very elementary and the scope for extensive scientific research and development is negligible. There is lack of seriousness in focusing on doing Masters because after UG, students and even college faculty are engaged in securing better placements. The intake of full-time doctoral programs and dedicated research faculty, which is the core of such research activities, is a standard practice in higher education institutions in most countries, but is almost non-existent in Indian engineering colleges except in a few cases. Explains to Indira.
“The materials science and metallurgy branch of applied science due to alternative and renewable energy development (solar, wind, hydrogen generation, batteries and supercapacitors), consumer electronic gadgets, environmental engineering and remediation (water, air and soil pollution) is highly relevant today. CO2 capture), geotechnical monitoring (including alternative energy and mining) and composites for various technology applications. The field of rare earth elements may be one of the important topics to pursue as they are involved in most of these activities. are concerned which can raise academic standards and bridge the research gap if faculty and students are properly oriented,” explains Indira.
Manoranjan Kumar Manoj, Head, Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur says, “20 strategic metals including 17 REEs along with Nickel, Cobalt and Lithium are used in various applications such as manufacturing high corrosion and heat resistant materials, batteries, electronic components and much more. Li-ion batteries have great potential to be used in electric vehicles and hence these metals are essential for the development of any country. However, on the extraction of REEs in engineering colleges of the country Research is a neglected domain, despite the fact that these metals have a great strategic relevance. This is due to the fact that the extraction of these metals is a complex and costly process.”
“Infrastructural development and motivation among researchers and scientists can help in promoting research and development in the extraction of these metals and their use in manufacturing of various products, which is the current need of the country,” says Manoj.