Research & Development Centres

The Centre for Advanced Ceramic Materials (CACM) at ARCI is actively pursuing research and technology development activities in several cutting-edge areas of advanced ceramics and glass-ceramics (GCs). The centre has gained significant expertise and is equipped with state-of-the- art facilities in advanced processing methods such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD), hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing, slip casting, cold isostatic pressing, extrusion, gel casting and pressure-assisted slip casting.

The Centre for Advanced Materials & Batteries (CAMB) is dedicated to cutting-edge research & technology development and translation, in the domains of functional materials, advanced nanomaterials, high temperature materials and next-generation energy storage systems. With a strong mandate to address national technological needs, the Centre brings together interdisciplinary expertise to develop scalable, cost-effective, and high-performance material solutions for diverse industrial sectors.

The Centre for Advanced Powder Metallurgy (CAPM) is a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at ARCI with R&D activities on synthesis and processing of various particulate materials. Some of the key areas of recent activities in the centre includes Rare Earth metal extraction and development of Rare Earth based permanent magnets, Ferrite based magnets, Refractory critical metals like tungsten-based powder processing, Titanium-based alloys and Functionally graded materials, Thermoelectric materials, MAX - MXene phases and various other 2D-materials for versatile applications.

Centre for Automotive Energy Materials (CAEM) has been recently set up at Indian Institute of Technology (M) Research Park , Chennai with a focus to start major R&D programmes on Materials and Components Technology for Electric Vehicle (EV) / Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) applications. The Centre is developing Li-ion battery for EVs/ HEVs by setting up Research facility for Lithium-ion cells and battery packs at pilot plant scale. Lithium-ion battery technology is projected to be the leapfrog technology for automotive sectors to provide stationary storage solutions to enable the effective use of renewable energy sources. Giant automobile manufacturers like Ashok Leyland are already engaged in the Manufacture of EV based on Lithium-ion batteries (LIB's) and CAEM has initiated the interactions to work closely with them to demonstrate ARCI's in-house Li-battery technology for EVs. 

Carbon is rewriting the future of materials science. What makes carbon extraordinary is its ability to exist in radically different forms - each with its own game-changing properties. At the Center for Carbon Materials (CCM), advanced carbon materials including Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) produced via Arc Discharge and CVD, along with graphene, carbon fiber, exfoliated graphite and carbon foam are being developed for multiple high-impact applications.

As far as the field of surface modification technologies are concerned, India has matured significantly in recent years. The conspicuous upward trend in the adoption of surface modification technologies by the Indian industry has also been catalysed by several initiatives taken by the Government of India's Department of Science & Technology (DST). ARCI scientists have played a prominent role in piloting these initiatives and the organization has consistently tried to identify coating technologies of national relevance and consciously pursue those that are unavailable elsewhere in the country.

The major objective of the Centre is to develop Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), one of the low temperature fuel cells, in its entireness and demonstrate its application in Decentralised power generation systems and transportation applications. The work includes several aspects of materials development, stack design & engineering, balance of system development, system design and engineering and carrying out field trials. In addition to the PEMFC development, the Centre is also engaged in other types of fuel cells and also developing hydrogen generation & storage materials and technologies. It is also an endeavour of the Centre to use the materials developed for fuel cells in other electrochemical and energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors. One of the mandates of the Centre is to include industries in its development as also eventual commercialization. Knowledge dissemination and manpower generation are other objectives of the Centre.

The Centre for Laser Processing of Materials (CLPM) works towards the development and promotion of laser-based manufacturing solutions for the Indian industry through:Application-oriented R&D towards demonstrating the feasibility of laser processing route for specific industrial applicationsResearch towards better scientific understanding of various processes; andJob works of specialized nature In the areas of Laser surface engineering (hardening, cladding, alloying, texturing)Laser welding and brazing (including laser-arc hybrid)Micro processing (surface texturing, drilling, scribing)Laser-based repair and refurbishment of componentsLaser and laser-assisted machiningMetal Additive Manufacturing – SLM and EBM 

The Centre for Materials Characterization and Testing (CMCT) is a core group in-charge of characterizing materials of interest to ARCI's technology development activities.The objectives of the Centre are as follows:Offering a range of solutions for internal characterization needsConduct basic research to support ARCI's technology development programmesCarry out multi-scale, multi property characterization of materials of importance to ARCI's projectsEstablishing new facilities to cater to evolving characterization needs, and to develop expertise in advanced materials characterization techniquesProviding characterization facilities for industries, R&D institutions and students/staff from educational Institutions.

The emergence of new solar energy technologies has been a potential game changer in the modern era of power generation. The flourishing solar energy technologies and associated R & D in the development of new technologies are boosted with the India's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNSM). Centre for solar Energy Materials (CSEM) at ARCI has been established with a futuristic ideology of development and demonstration of various eco-friendly and economically viable technologies in the field of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal.

The main objective of the Centre is to develop inorganic and organic inorganic hybrid nanocomposite coatings generated by sol-gel process.Nanotechnology is one of the key technologies of the 21st century and sol-gel processing is one of the different wet chemical methods that can create nano-crystalline or nano-scaled amorphous materials. Sol-gel method has about three decade long history, starting with processing of oxide materials including glass and ceramics in early days to preparation of non-oxides as well in the recent times. Processing of organic-inorganic hybrid nano-composite materials using this technique is now an active field of research. The advantage of an organic-inorganic hybrid is that it can favorably bring synergy between the dissimilar properties of organic and inorganic components in a single material. Sol-gel derived hybrid nano-composite material synthesis involves the poly-condensation of organically modified silanes along with silicon or metal alk-oxides.